Charging capacitors from thermal fluctuations using diodes Articles uri icon

publication date

  • August 2023

start page

  • 1

end page

  • 12

issue

  • 024130

volume

  • 108

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 2470-0053

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 2470-0045

abstract

  • We theoretically consider a graphene ripple as a Brownian particle coupled to an energy storage circuit. When circuit and particle are at the same temperature, the second law forbids harvesting energy from the thermal motion of the Brownian particle, even if the circuit contains a rectifying diode. However, when the circuit contains a junction followed by two diodes wired in opposition, the approach to equilibrium may become ultraslow. Detailed balance is temporarily broken as current flows between the two diodes and charges storage capacitors. The energy harvested by each capacitor comes from the thermal bath of the diodes while the system obeys the first and second laws of thermodynamics.

subjects

  • Mathematics

keywords

  • energy harvesting; graphene; thermal fluctuations; storage capacitors; diodes