Electronic ratchets use a periodic potential with broken inversion symmetry to rectify undirected (electromagnetic, EM) forces and can in principle be a complement to conventional diode-based designs. Unfortunately, ratchet devices reported to date have low or undetermined power conversion efficiencies, hampering applicability. Combining experiments and numerical modeling, field-effect transistor-based ratchets are investigated in which the driving signal is coupled into the accumulation layer via interdigitated finger electrodes that are capacitively coupled to the field effect transistor channel region. The output current-voltage curves of these ratchets can have a fill factor >> 0.25 which is highly favorable for the power output. Experimentally, a maximum power conversion efficiency well over 10% at 5 MHz, which is the highest reported value for an electronic ratchet, is determined. Device simulations indicate this number can be increased further by increasing the device asymmetry. A scaling analysis shows that the frequency range of optimal performance can be scaled to the THz regime, and possibly beyond, while adhering to technologically realistic parameters. Concomitantly, the power output density increases from ≈4 W m-2 to ≈1 MW m-2. Hence, this type of ratchet device can rectify high-frequency EM fields at reasonable efficiencies, potentially paving the way for actual use as energy harvester.

中文翻译：

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可扩展的电子棘轮，整流效率超过10％。

电子棘轮使用具有反转反转对称性的周期性电势来纠正无方向的（电磁，EM）力，并且原则上可以作为常规基于二极管的设计的补充。不幸的是，迄今为止报道的棘轮装置具有低或不确定的功率转换效率，从而妨碍了实用性。结合实验和数值模型，研究了基于场效应晶体管的棘轮，其中驱动信号通过叉指电极耦合到累积层，指叉电极电容耦合到场效应晶体管沟道区。这些棘轮的输出电流-电压曲线可以具有>> 0.25的填充因数，这对于功率输出非常有利。实验上，在5 MHz时，最大功率转换效率远远超过10％，确定电子棘轮报告的最高值。器件仿真表明，可以通过增加器件不对称性来进一步增加该数目。缩放分析表明，最佳性能的频率范围可以缩放到THz范围，甚至可以超出，同时遵守技术上可行的参数。随之，功率输出密度从≈4W m-2增加到≈1MW m-2。因此，这种棘轮装置可以以合理的效率对高频电磁场进行整流，从而有可能为实际用作能量收集器铺平道路。并可能坚持不懈，同时遵守技术上现实的参数。随之，功率输出密度从≈4W m-2增加到≈1MW m-2。因此，这种棘轮装置可以以合理的效率对高频电磁场进行整流，从而有可能为实际用作能量收集器铺平道路。并可能坚持不懈，同时遵守技术上现实的参数。随之，功率输出密度从≈4W m-2增加到≈1MW m-2。因此，这种棘轮装置可以以合理的效率对高频电磁场进行整流，从而有可能为实际用作能量收集器铺平道路。