SunFusion Solar Says Nano-Scale Antennas Could Revolutionize the Solar Energy Industry
Researchers from Rice University have developed a device which converts light into a stream of electrons by bringing them together and focusing them. According to SunFusion Solar, a San Diego based solar contracting company, this could revolutionize the industry.
This nano-scale antenna, a device which can be employed in a number of applications, is the first of its kind. According to SunFusion Solar, some of the possible areas in which it can be used are imaging, photosensing and energy harvesting.
Antennas typically used for the transmission of TV and radio signals are functional at optical frequencies – provided, the devices are reduced to the nano-scale. The nano-antennas work primarily by making use of plasmonic modes. The combination of light sent out by the antenna and neighboring molecules are amplified by the modes.
The plasmonic modes have been made use of by Naomi Halas and her colleagues, to develop the innovative nano-antenna. The device has been designed to also function as a photodiode. Light can be converted to voltage or current with this device. The nano-scale antenna was created by making rod shaped gold arrays grow on a semiconductor interface surface made of silicon. This gave rise to a barrier on the antenna that can act as a metal semi-conductor. This is also known as the Schottky barrier.
Electron waves that oscillate – called surface plasmons, because they move along the metal surface – are excited when the antenna receives light. The electrons energized this way, are injected through the Schottky barrier and into the semiconductor. This generates a photocurrent (detectable), without requiring applied voltage.
The researchers have developed resonators that are 30 nm tall and 50 nm wide. They are approximately 110 nm to 158 nm long. An array of 15×20 will comprise of 300 antennas that are placed about 250 nm from each other. A layer of silicon surrounds the structure and forms an insulating sheath around it. An indium tin oxide electrode is used for connecting the array electrically.
One of the biggest benefits offered by the antennas is that when a photocurrent is produced, it involves both photons located over the Schottky barrier’s height and those excited to levels exceeding the semiconductor’s band gap. This enables the device to detect the presence of light at room temperature and below the semiconductor’s band gap.
A spokesperson at SunFusion Solar commented on the importance of the findings made by Halas and her colleagues, saying that he results indicate that infrared photons can be detected and captured using silicon, a sustainable, cost-effective material that acts as a semiconductor.
About SunFusion Solar
SunFusion Solar is a licensed, full-service company dedicated to solar contracting and providing services, products and installations that are of the highest quality in the industry. Their offerings are competitively priced and are highly reliable. The company specializes in photovoltaic solar panel systems that can be installed in farm wineries, agricultural units, commercial settings and houses. By concentrating its efforts on adopting renewable energy, SunFusion Solar is playing a key role in the effort to deal with the global energy crisi
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