Nonimaging optics

The Nonimaging optics, and illumination optics, deals with the optimization of light transmission between a source and a destination. The type of illumination of the target is the predominant interest in this art of optics. In contrast to the image ends optics is not about the creation of an image of the source. From the same point in the object plane outgoing rays can on different points of the target area, which is not an image plane here in the real sense, meet, as long as they are within a well defined range. With this condition, it is possible to achieve the theoretical maximum concentration of radiation, which is limited only by the maintenance of the Étendues. But not only the degree of concentration, even the most uniform possible illumination of the target area can be an objective of shaping the reflector or the radiation- refracting medium.

History

Since the early 1960s, the idea of ​​using non-imaging optics for radiation concentration came on. Based on calculations, it was found that it is only possible with these lenses to build neglecting the interference, two-dimensional Konzentratorformen with which the theoretical maximum concentration of radiation can be achieved. A composite of two waveforms concentrator, called the Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC ) was first used to concentration of Cherenkov light onto a sensor.

Today's use

Today, non-imaging optics are used in many areas. For example, reflectors for office lighting and vehicle headlights, but also designed reflectors for the receiver of solar thermal power plants or reflectors and lenses for solar cells with the help of this specialist field of optics. Also be used designs in which both the radiation refraction and reflection are combined so that the rays penetrate a certain angle in the object, this can no longer leave.