Open AccessConversion efficiency of broad-band rectennas for solar energy harvesting applications
Author(s) -
Edgar Briones,
Javier Alda,
Francisco González
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.21.00a412
Subject(s) - rectenna , energy harvesting , diode , solar energy , optoelectronics , energy conversion efficiency , antenna (radio) , materials science , optics , photovoltaic system , physics , power (physics) , electrical engineering , computer science , telecommunications , engineering , quantum mechanics
Optical antennas have been proposed as an alternative option for solar energy harvesting. In this work the power conversion efficiency of broadband antennas, log-periodic, square-spiral, and archimedian-spiral antennas, coupled to Metal-Insulator-Metal and Esaki rectifying diodes has been obtained from both theoretical and numerical simulation perspectives. The results show efficiencies in the order of 10(-6) to 10(-9) for these rectifying mechanisms, which is very low for practical solar energy harvesting applications. This is mainly caused by the poor performance of diodes at the given frequencies and also due to the antenna-diode impedance mismatch. If only losses due to antenna-diode impedance mismatch are considered an efficiency of about 10(-3) would be obtained. In order to make optical antennas useful for solar energy harvesting new rectification devices or a different harvesting mechanism should be used.