title: Surface-relief and polarization gratings for solar concentrators.
abstract: Transmission gratings that combine a large diffraction angle with a high diffraction efficiency and a low angular and wavelength dispersion could be used to collect sunlight in a light guide. In this paper we compare the diffractive properties of polarization gratings and classical surface-relief gratings and explore their possible use in solar concentrators. It is found that polarization gratings and surface-relief gratings have qualitatively comparable diffraction characteristics when their thickness parameters are within the same regime. Relatively large grating periods result in high diffraction efficiencies over a wide range of incident angles. For small grating periods the efficiency and the angular acceptance are decreased. Surface-relief gratings are preferred over polarization gratings as in-couplers for solar concentrators.
authors.affiliation: Functional Organic Materials & Devices, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands. T.M.d.Jong@tue.nl
authors.forename: Ties M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: de Jong
authors.forename: Dick K G
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: de Boer
authors.forename: Cees W M
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Bastiaansen