Abstract
Submicron antenna-coupled diodes, called optical rectennas, can directly rectify solar and thermal electromagnetic radiation, and function as detectors and power harvesting devices. The physics of a diode interacting with electromagnetic radiation at optical frequencies is not fully captured in its DC characteristics. We describe the operating principle of rectenna solar cells using a quantum approach and analyze the requirements for efficient rectification.
In prior work classical concepts from microwave rectenna theory have been applied to the analysis of photovoltaic power generation using these ultra-high-frequency rectifiers. Because of their high photon energy the interaction of petahertz-frequency waves with fast-responding diodes requires a semiclassical analysis. We use the theory of photon-assisted transport to derive the current–voltage [I(V)] characteristics of metal/insulator/metal (MIM) tunnel diodes under illumination. We show how power is generated in the second quadrant of the I(V) characteristic, derive solar cell parameters, and analyze the key variables that influence the performance under monochromatic radiation and to a first-order approximation.
The photon-assisted transport theory leads to several conclusions regarding the high-frequency characteristics of diodes. The semiclassical diode resistance and responsivity differ from their classical values. At optical frequencies, a diode even with a moderate forward-to-reverse current asymmetry exhibits high quantum efficiency.
An analysis is carried out to determine the requirements imposed by the operating frequency on the circuit parameters of rectennas. Diodes with low resistance and capacitance are required for the RC time constant of the rectenna to be smaller than the reciprocal of the operating frequency and to couple energy efficiently from the antenna.
Finally, we carry out a derivation that extends the semiclassical theory to the domain of non-tunneling based diodes, showing that the presented analysis is general and not restricted to the MIM diode.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Grover S. Diodes for optical rectennas. PhD Thesis, University of Colorado, Boulder; 2011.
Brown WC. Optimization of the efficiency and other properties of the rectenna element. 1976. p. 142–4.
Shinohara N, Matsumoto H. Experimental study of large rectenna array for microwave energy transmission. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech. 1998;46(3):261–8.
Hagerty JA, Helmbrecht FB, McCalpin WH, Zane R, Popovic ZB. Recycling ambient microwave energy with broad-band rectenna arrays. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech. 2004;52(3):1014–24.
Singh P, Kaneria S, Anugonda VS, Chen HM, Wang XQ, et al. Prototype silicon micropower supply for sensors. IEEE Sens J. 2006;6(1):211–22.
Fumeaux C, Herrmann W, Kneubühl FK, Rothuizen H. Nanometer thin-film Ni-NiO-Ni diodes for detection and mixing of 30 THz radiation. Infrared Phys Technol. 1998;39(3):123–83.
Bailey RL. A proposed new concept for a solar-energy converter. J Eng Power. 1972;94(2):73–77.
Marks AM. Device for conversion of light power to electric power. US Patent No. 4445050; 1984.
Berland B. Photovoltaic technologies beyond the horizon: optical rectenna solar cell, NREL report no. SR-520-33263, final report; 2003.
Grover S, Joshi S, Moddel G. Theory of operation for rectenna solar cells. J Phys D. 2013.
Grover S, Moddel G. Applicability of metal/insulator/metal (MIM) diodes to solar rectennas. IEEE J Photovoltaics. 2011;1(1):78–83.
Sedra AS, Smith KC. Microelectronic circuits. 4th ed. New York: Oxford University Press; 1997.
Yoo T, Chang K. Theoretical and experimental development of 10 and 35 GHz rectennas. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech. 1992;40(6):1259–66.
Brown ER. A system-level analysis of Schottky diodes for incoherent THz imaging arrays. Solid State Electron. Mar 2004;48:2051–3.
Kazemi H, Shinohara K, Nagy G, Ha W, Lail B, et al. First THz and IR characterization of nanometer-scaled antenna-coupled InGaAs/InP Schottky-diode detectors for room temperature infrared imaging. Infrared Technol Appl XXXIII. 2007;6542(1):65421.
Hübers H-W, Schwaab GW, Röser HP. Video detection and mixing performance of GaAs Schottky-barrier diodes at 30 THz and comparison with metal-insulator-metal diodes, J Appl Phys. 1994;75(8):4243–8.
Hartman TE. Tunneling of a wave packet. J Appl Phys. Dec 1962;33(12):3427–33.
Nagae M. Response time of metal-insulator-metal tunnel junctions. Jpn J Appl Phys. 1972;11(11):1611–21.
Rockwell S, Lim D, Bosco BA, Baker JH, Eliasson B, et al. Characterization and modeling of metal/double-insulator/metal diodes for millimeter wave wireless receiver applications. In Radio frequency integrated circuits (RFIC) symposium, IEEE, Honolulu, HI; 2007. p. 171–4.
Sanchez A, Davis CF, Liu KC, Javan A. The MOM tunneling diode: theoretical estimate of its performance at microwave and infrared frequencies. J Appl Phys. 1978;49(10):5270–7.
Grover S, Dmitriyeva O, Estes MJ, Moddel G. Traveling-wave metal/insulator/metal diodes for improved infrared bandwidth and efficiency of antenna-coupled rectifiers. IEEE Trans Nanotechnol. 2010;9(6):716–22.
Eliasson BJ. Metal-insulator-metal diodes for solar energy conversion. PhD Thesis, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder; 2001.
Tien PK, Gordon JP. Multiphoton process observed in the interaction of microwave fields with the tunneling between superconductor films. Phys Rev. 1963;129(2):647–51.
Tucker JR, Feldman MJ. Quantum detection at millimeter wavelengths. Rev Mod Phys. 1985;57(4):1055–113.
Tucker JR. Quantum limited detection in tunnel junction mixers. IEEE J Quantum Electron. 1979;QE-15(11):1234–58.
Michael Kale B. Electron tunneling devices in optics, Opt Eng. 1985;24(2):267–74.
Wilke I, Oppliger Y, Herrmann W, Kneubühl FK. Nanometer thin-film Ni-NiO-Ni diodes for 30 THz radiation. Appl Phys Mater Sci Process. Apr 1994;58(4):329–41.
Hobbs PC, Laibowitz RB, Libsch FR, LaBianca NC, Chiniwalla PP. Efficient waveguide-integrated tunnel junction detectors at 1.6 μm, Opt Express. 2007;15(25):16376–89.
Estes MJ, Moddel G. Surface plasmon devices. US Patent 7,010,183; 2006.
Fal’ko V. Nonlinear properties of mesoscopic junctions under high-frequency field irradiation. Europhys Lett. 1989;8(8):785–9.
Datta S. Steady-state transport in mesoscopic systems illuminated by alternating fields. Phys Rev B. 1992;45(23):13761–4.
Liu J, Giordano N. Nonlinear response of a mesoscopic system. Phys B. 1990;165&166:279–80.
Platero G, Aguado R. Photon-assisted transport in semiconductor nanostructures. Phys Rep. 2004;395(1–2):1–157.
Kienle D, Vaidyanathan M, Léonard F. Self-consistent ac quantum transport using nonequilibrium Green functions. Phys Rev B. 2010;81:115455.
Datta S, Anantram MP. Steady-state transport in mesoscopic systems illuminated by alternating fields. Phys Rev B. 1992;45(23):13761–4.
Landauer R. Johnson-Nyquist noise derived from quantum mechanical transmission. Phys D. 1989;38:226–9.
Ferry DK, Goodnick SM, Bird J. Transport in nanostructures. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2009.
Datta S. Quantum transport: atom to transistor. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2005.
Pedersen MH, Büttiker M. Scattering theory of photon-assisted electron transport. Phys Rev B. 1998;58(19):12993–3006.
Dagenais M, Choi K, Yesilkoy F, Chryssis AN, Peckerar MC. Solar spectrum rectification using nano-antennas and tunneling diodes. Proc SPIE. 2010;7605:76050E–1.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Grover, S., Moddel, G. (2013). Optical Frequency Rectification. In: Moddel, G., Grover, S. (eds) Rectenna Solar Cells. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3716-1_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3716-1_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-3715-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-3716-1
eBook Packages: EnergyEnergy (R0)