3 ms·
Folks here are missing the fact that the rectifying diodes must operate in the THz region. The fact that NovaSolix has demonstrated Proof-of-Concept chips says
by GeorgeTirebiter 8y ago
Folks here are missing the fact that the rectifying diodes must operate in the THz region. The fact that NovaSolix has demonstrated Proof-of-Concept chips says they are able to build diodes that work at 100s of THz. That, alone, seems impressive to me. (example: green is 630 nm; f = c / lambda, that is, 476 THz)
- gpm 8y agoJust to check my understanding: A green light would create a AC current at 476 THz. We put this through a diode to capture the pulses of current that are moving in the right direction?
- std_throwawayay 8y agoYes. Also, the voltage won't be very high. The diodes have to be efficient in the millivolt regime.
- DoctorOetker 8y agoyours is a really good question, one of the links answers it: https://today.uconn.edu/2013/02/uconn-professors-patented-technique-key-to-new-solar-power-technology/# https://today.uconn.edu/2013/02/uconn-professors-patented-te... Look at the picture of the electrode with triangles and the other rectangular. The distance between the tip of the triangle and the other electrode is required to be on the order of a nm (in this reference here 1.5nm). This allows electrons to tunnel from one electrode to the other. A charge on an electrode tries to spread out, and the density is higher near pointed protrusions. So in the cycle the triangle-electrode is negatively charged, the electrons can tunnel to the other electrode, but in the other half of the cycle the electrodes prefer to spread out differently on the rectangular electrode. That's how the diode is implemented. Edit: just adding, so the asymmetry of the diode is due to the asymmetry between electrodes and the asymmetry between electron and hole mobilities