Photoinduced Plasmon-Polariton Mediated Energy Storage

Development of new means of remotely induced energy storage is important for varied applications, including minimization of energy loss and heat effects in computation devices, solar energy generation, and data transmission. Here, we demonstrate a new concept by which photoinduced energy storage is facilitated through plasmon-polariton generation, propagation, and supercapacitor charging. Specifically, we designed a simple nano-device, allowing conversion of photonic energy into plasmons, transmitting the plasmons over micrometer-scale distances, and storing the energy in nano-supercapacitors. The new platform may potentially minimize heat-associated energy loss in computer circuitry and data processors, as energy is transmitted optically rather than electronically and thus it does not experience electrical resistivity. Moreover, the concept of photoinduced plasmonic mode that serves as an intermediary for electromagnetic energy transfer that charges supercapacitor, may theoretically be used to form the basis for a new "plasmonic solar cell" technology comprising simple and readily fabricated in-plane modules which do not require expensive semiconductor materials or complex fabrication schemes encountered in photovoltaic cells.