Solar Energy Harvesting by Carbon Nanotube Optical Rectenna: A Review

摘要

Light has dual nature (particle and wave). Solar PV technology exploits particle nature of light and converts light to electricity by charge separation method. The lower efficiency of PV system is hindering their wide-spread commercial use. Optical rectenna exploits wave nature of light and not limited to the Shockley-Queisser efficiency limit. Carbon nanotubes are the quasi one-dimensional structure and possess exceptional thermo-mechanical and optical properties. They show antenna like properties and can be used in an optical rectenna due to their excellent properties. In this article, recent improvement in the design and efficiency of CNT optical rectenna is discussed.