Can Solar Cells Work at Night? A Review of Solar Rectennas and Infrared Energy Harvesting

The ability of solar energy harvesting systems to operate beyond daylight hours has attracted increasing attention in recent years. In this study, we investigate the recent advances in solar energy harvesting technologies with a particular focus on nanoantenna-based solar cells. Unlike conventional photovoltaic cells, nanoantennas can harvest a broader portion of the solar spectrum, including infrared (IR) radiation, thereby offering the potential for higher energy conversion efficiency. However, nanoantennas generate alternating current (AC), which cannot be directly stored in batteries. To overcome this limitation, researchers have proposed integrating nanoantennas with high-speed rectifiers to convert the generated AC into direct current (DC), forming a solar rectenna. The studies suggest that such devices could achieve significantly higher conversion efficiencies than conventional photovoltaic cells by harvesting not only solar IR radiation but also thermal radiation from other sources, including waste heat. Consequently, solar rectennas have been proposed as promising all-weather energy harvesters capable of operating during daytime, nighttime, and under cloudy conditions. In addition, their thin-film architecture and the potential use of low-cost fabrication techniques make them attractive candidates for future large-scale energy harvesting applications.

کلیدواژه ها:

solar cell ، energy ، nanoantenna ، solar rectenna ، rectifier