What they’ve done here is use the very old existing rectenna technology and new types of nanoscale rectenna arrays to capture very low energy radio waves without an external antenna. We’re taking -20 dBm or 10 μW.
In the end, I welcome any rectenna advances because if we ever build an efficient optical rectenna it’ll blow photovoltaics out of the water by efficiency. Optical rectennas are like fusion power in just how revolutionary they would be to our energy economy.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rectenna
What they’ve done here is use the very old existing rectenna technology and new types of nanoscale rectenna arrays to capture very low energy radio waves without an external antenna. We’re taking -20 dBm or 10 μW.
In the end, I welcome any rectenna advances because if we ever build an efficient optical rectenna it’ll blow photovoltaics out of the water by efficiency. Optical rectennas are like fusion power in just how revolutionary they would be to our energy economy.
Dang that’s actually a super interesting concept. Thanks for the wikipedia link!
Agreed, this is the future Nikola Tesla wanted, and it’s not some wild eyed crack pottery but what he was actually working on in Colorado.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_Experimental_Station