As part of our research on materials for concentrator photovoltaics (CPV), we are evaluating the
optical properties and solar radiation durability of a number of polymeric materials with potential
in CPV applications. For optical materials in imaging or non-imaging optical systems, detailed
knowledge of the wavelength-dependent complex index of refraction is important for system
design and performance, yet optical properties for many polymeric systems are not available in the
literature. Here we report the index of refraction, optical absorbance, haze, and Urbach edge
analysis results of various polymers of interest for CPV systems. These values were derived from
ellipsometry and from using a VUV-VASE and transmission based absorbance spectroscopy on thick
film samples