Microwave rectenna

Matrix context

D = disequilibrium row · C = coupling family column. A cell reads the state of the atlas for that pair.

D.11 × C.28 · Incident radiation flux × Rectennafamily: Rectenna

Measured or reported performance

1. rectenna element RF-to-DC conversion efficiency90.5 ± 0.5 %device1977
   the improved rectenna element of the NASA-Lewis receiving-terminal study (higher-impedance microwave circuit, higher DC load resistance, improved diodes); 79.5 ± 0.5 % at 50 mW and 45 % at 1 mW input — the atlas had carried 0.906, the figure Brown's later reviews quote; the contractor report read in full gives 90.5 ± 0.5 % at the 8 W element level
   refs [3]

best recorded efficiency (derived)

90.5% — rectenna element RF-to-DC conversion efficiency, device, 1977; derived from the structured data above, not a stored number

notes

No thermodynamic ceiling below unity applies to rectifying a coherent microwave beam (the Landsberg limit belongs to thermal radiation), so no bound is recorded. Do not compare a single element's RF-to-DC efficiency with a large array's capture-plus-rectification efficiency (over 82 % at Goldstone) or with end-to-end DC-to-DC beaming efficiency (54 % certified in March 1975).

Steps

1. 01
   Incident radiation flux —drives→ Antenna receptionestablishedclaim record

   radiative → electrical · loss to thermal

   • radio- or microwave-frequency radiation and an antenna resonant at that frequency

   conductor required

   refs [1]
2. 02
   Antenna reception —couples to→ Rectificationestablishedclaim record

   electrical → electrical · loss to thermal

   • the antenna feeds a diode matched to its impedance

   solid · semiconductor required

   refs [1]
3. 03
   Rectification —produces→ Charge carriersestablishedclaim record

   electrical → electrical · loss to thermal

   • direct current out of the diode

   refs [1]
4. 04
   Charge carriers —converts into→ Electrical workestablishedclaim record

   electrical → electrical · loss to thermal

   • carriers driven through an external load at the potential difference the source maintains

   refs [2]

Evidence for the complete composition · 2

1. [1]
   W. C. Brown. The history of power transmission by radio waves (1984)

   IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques 32, 1230–1242 · doi:10.1109/TMTT.1984.1132833 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
2. [3]
   W. C. Brown. Electronic and mechanical improvement of the receiving terminal of a free-space microwave power transmission system (1977)

   NASA CR-135194 (Raytheon Company, contract NAS3-19722), NASA Technical Reports Server 19770024669 · ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19770024669 · record

Evidence for the constituent relations · 2

1. [1]
   W. C. Brown. The history of power transmission by radio waves (1984)

   IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques 32, 1230–1242 · doi:10.1109/TMTT.1984.1132833 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
2. [2]
   N. W. Ashcroft, N. D. Mermin. Solid State Physics (1976)

   Holt, Rinehart and Winston · book, no DOI · record