Multiple light recycling with the Carambola

Abstract

The Carambola is an optical device designed to allow the deterministic and multiple recycling of light rays. The rays transit through the source a defined number of times before exiting in the same phase space as light directly emitted and not recycled. The brightness enhancement by light recycling (the optical light recycling factor) with the Carambola depends on the reflectivity of the reflecting walls of the Carambola, as well as on the size of the source and on the optical thickness of the source. The results of a ray-tracing simulation and an analytical model are promising an optical light recycling factor up to three for a Xenon high-pressure arc discharge lamp.