Optical rectenna
（重定向自Nanoantenna）
![Figure 1. Spectral irradiance of wavelengths in the solar spectrum. The red shaded area shows the irradiance at sea level. There is less irradiance at sea level due to absorption of light by the atmosphere.](/Images/godic/202501/29/Radiation_Spectrum0827.png")
![Figure 3. Image showing the skin effect at high frequencies. The dark region, at the surface, indicates electron flow where the lighter region (interior) indicates little to no electron flow.](/Images/godic/202501/29/Skin_Effect0827.png")
![Figure 5. Experimental and theoretical emissivity as a function of wavelength. The experimental spectrum was determined by heating the optical antenna to 200 °C and comparing the spectral radiance to blackbody emission at 200 °C.](/Images/godic/202501/29/Nantenna_Results0827.png")
An optical rectenna is a rectenna (rectifying antenna) that works with visible or infrared light. A rectenna is a circuit containing an antenna and a diode, which turns electromagnetic waves into direct current electricity. While rectennas have long been used for radio waves or microwaves, an optical rectenna would operate the same way but with infrared or visible light, turning it into electricity.