UC Merced

This study presents physical, computational and analytical modeling approaches for

light propagation in luminescent random media. Two different approaches are used, namely

(i) a statistical approach: Monte-Carlo simulations for photon transport and (ii) a deterministic approach: radiative transport theory. Both approaches account accurately for the

multiple absorption and reemission of light at different wavelengths and for anisotropic

luminescence. The deterministic approach is a generalization of radiative transport theory

for solving inelastic scattering problems in random media. We use the radiative transport

theory to study light propagation in luminescent media. Based on this theory, we also study

the optically thick medium. Using perturbation methods, a corrected diffusion approximation with asymptotically accurate boundary conditions and a boundary layer solution are

derived. The accuracy and the efficacy of this approach is verified for a plane-parallel slab

problem. In particular, we apply these two approaches (MC and radiative transport theory) to model light propagation in semiconductor-based luminescent solar concentrators

(LSCs). The computational results for both approaches are compared with each other and

found to agree. The results of this dissertation present practical and reliable techniques to

use for solving forward/inverse inelastic scattering problems arising in various research areas such as optics, biomedical engineering, nuclear engineering, solar science and material

science.