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Journal of Experimental and Theoretical NANOTECHNOLOGY

About the Journal :

Experimental and Theoretical NANOTECHNOLOGY (ETN) abbreviated as Exp. Theo. NANOTECHNOLOGY is a multidisciplinary peer-reviewed and open access journal. It includes specialized research papers, short communications, reviews and selected conference papers in special issues on the characterization, synthesis, processing, structure and properties of different principles and applications of nanotechnology with focus on advantageous achievements and applications for the specialists in engineering, chemistry, physics, materials science and medicine. ETN covers and publishes all aspects of fundamental and applied researches of experimental and theoretical nanoscale technology dealing with materials synthesis, processing, nanofabrication, nanoprobes, spectroscopy, properties, biological systems, nanostructures, nanoelectronics, nano-optics, nano-mechanics, nanodevices, nanobiotechnology, nanomedicine, nanotoxicology within the scope of the journal. ETN aims to acquire the recent and outstanding researches for the benefit of the human being.



SOLAR ENERGY HARVESTING EFfiCIENCY OF NANO-ANTENNAS


The radiation efficiency of nano-antennas is a key parameter in the emerging field of IR and optical energy harvesting. This parameter is the first factor in the total efficiency product by which nano-antennas are able to convert incident light into useful energy. This efficiency is investigatedintermsofthemetalusedasconductorandthedimensionsofthenano-antenna. Theresultssetupperboundsforanypossibleprocesstransforminglightintoelectricalenergy. These upper bounds are the equivalent of the theoretical upper bounds for the efficiency of conventionalsolarcells.Silvershowsthehighestefficiencies,bothinfreespaceandontopofa glass (SiO2) substrate, with radiation efficiencies near or slightly above 90%, and a total solar powerharvestingefficiencyofabout60–70%.Thisisconsiderablyhigherthanconventionalsolar cells.Itisfoundthatfine-tuningofthedipoledimensionsiscrucialtooptimizetheefficiency. & 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rightsreserved.

Keywords:Harvesting; Energy; Solar; Nano-antenna.