MEMS solar energy harvesting.

Abstract

We have performed a preliminary investigation of a new approach for generating electrical power with solar energy that does not rely on the photovoltaic effect. This approach takes advantage of a unique interaction between a mechanically resonant device and optical illumination. The optical illumination is required to be a plane wave but does not require optical coherence which other reported optically excited mechanical resonant devices have required. The preliminary investigation described in this report included both experimental demonstration of key portions of the energy conversion process and FEA simulations to better understand the dependencies of this approach. This report also describes possible future areas of research. 4