Industrial applications of rare earths in fiber optics, luminescent solar concentrators and lasers

Luminescent solar concentrators which concentrate light from large plate surfaces to the plate's edges are promising devices for lowering the price of photovoltaic electricity. Plates based on neodymium and ytterbium doped glasses covered by thin glass layers incorporating organic dyes are promising materials for efficient luminescent solar concentrators. Flouride glasses incorporating rate earths are proposed as integrated systems for fiber optic communications in the visible and infrared parts of the spectrum. Such devices may be obtained from rare earths in flouride glasses in direct contact with undoped glass of the same composition without the light-emitting lanthanide. Storage of energy in the lowest quartet state of manganese(II) and transfer of energy to neodymium(III) provides another opportunity for improving the performance of lasers. New laser materials based on the combination of rare earths and organic dyes will also be discussed.