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Title: Power Generation from a Radiative Thermal Source Using a Large-Area Infrared Rectenna

Abstract

Electrical power generation from a moderate-temperature thermal source by means of direct conversion of infrared radiation is important and highly desirable for energy harvesting from waste heat and micropower applications. Here, we demonstrate direct rectified power generation from an unbiased large-area nanoantenna-coupled tunnel diode rectifier called a rectenna. Using a vacuum radiometric measurement technique with irradiation from a temperature-stabilized thermal source, a generated power density of 8 nW / cm2 is observed at a source temperature of 450°C for the unbiased rectenna across an optimized load resistance. The optimized load resistance for the peak power generation for each temperature coincides with the tunnel diode resistance at zero bias and corresponds to the impedance matching condition for a rectifying antenna. Current-voltage measurements of a thermally illuminated large-area rectenna show current zero crossing shifts into the second quadrant indicating rectification. Photon-assisted tunneling in the unbiased rectenna is modeled as the mechanism for the large short-circuit photocurrents observed where the photon energy serves as an effective bias across the tunnel junction. Furthermore, the measured current and voltage across the load resistor as a function of the thermal source temperature represents direct current electrical power generation.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
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  1. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
OSTI Identifier:
1464206
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1439137
Report Number(s):
SAND-2018-2950J
Journal ID: ISSN 2331-7019; PRAHB2; 662295; TRN: US1902381
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000; NA0003525
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Physical Review Applied
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 9; Journal Issue: 5; Journal ID: ISSN 2331-7019
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS

Citation Formats

Shank, Joshua, Kadlec, Emil A., Jarecki, Robert L., Starbuck, Andrew, Howell, Stephen, Peters, David W., and Davids, Paul S. Power Generation from a Radiative Thermal Source Using a Large-Area Infrared Rectenna. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevApplied.9.054040.
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Shank, Joshua, Kadlec, Emil A., Jarecki, Robert L., Starbuck, Andrew, Howell, Stephen, Peters, David W., & Davids, Paul S. Power Generation from a Radiative Thermal Source Using a Large-Area Infrared Rectenna. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.9.054040
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Shank, Joshua, Kadlec, Emil A., Jarecki, Robert L., Starbuck, Andrew, Howell, Stephen, Peters, David W., and Davids, Paul S. Fri . "Power Generation from a Radiative Thermal Source Using a Large-Area Infrared Rectenna". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.9.054040. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1464206.
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@article{osti_1464206,
title = {Power Generation from a Radiative Thermal Source Using a Large-Area Infrared Rectenna},
author = {Shank, Joshua and Kadlec, Emil A. and Jarecki, Robert L. and Starbuck, Andrew and Howell, Stephen and Peters, David W. and Davids, Paul S.},
abstractNote = {Electrical power generation from a moderate-temperature thermal source by means of direct conversion of infrared radiation is important and highly desirable for energy harvesting from waste heat and micropower applications. Here, we demonstrate direct rectified power generation from an unbiased large-area nanoantenna-coupled tunnel diode rectifier called a rectenna. Using a vacuum radiometric measurement technique with irradiation from a temperature-stabilized thermal source, a generated power density of 8 nW / cm2 is observed at a source temperature of 450°C for the unbiased rectenna across an optimized load resistance. The optimized load resistance for the peak power generation for each temperature coincides with the tunnel diode resistance at zero bias and corresponds to the impedance matching condition for a rectifying antenna. Current-voltage measurements of a thermally illuminated large-area rectenna show current zero crossing shifts into the second quadrant indicating rectification. Photon-assisted tunneling in the unbiased rectenna is modeled as the mechanism for the large short-circuit photocurrents observed where the photon energy serves as an effective bias across the tunnel junction. Furthermore, the measured current and voltage across the load resistor as a function of the thermal source temperature represents direct current electrical power generation.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevApplied.9.054040},
journal = {Physical Review Applied},
number = 5,
volume = 9,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri May 25 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Fri May 25 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}
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Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.9.054040
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Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 9 works
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Figures / Tables:

FIG. 1 FIG. 1: Schematic of vacuum radiometric measurement for thermal source irradiation of a large-area infrared rectenna. (a) The schematic shows a water cooled shroud around a temperature controlled ceramic thermal heater that acts as a thermal source. A packaged rectenna with active area 3 mm x 3 mm shown inmore » (b) is attached to a chilled large Cu block that is on a linear stage that controls the source rectenna distance. The temperature of the rectenna and the Cu block are monitored with attached thermo-couples. (c) The large-area rectenna is an integrated nanoantenna coupled metaloxide-semiconductor tunnel diode that has been described previously. (d) High resolution TEM shows the tunnel diode cross-section highlighting the oxide thickness (≃ 3-4nm). The entire large-area nanoantenna coupled tunnel diode is encapsulated in thick oxide. (e) Simulated (d) measured TM reflectance spectra from rectenna. (g) Simulated peak field concentration factor $γ$ = E$^{gap}_{z}$/E0 in rectenna. (h) Z-directed transverse field concentration in tunnel oxide at resonance.« less
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    Electrical power generation from moderate-temperature radiative thermal sources
    journal, February 2020

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