Infrared-frequency rectifying

[user-000]

What applications (except usage in rectifying infrared nanoantennas for harvesting thermal energy) would find a diode that could rectify AC having infrared frequency?
Could nanoscaled thermionic diodes be used for that?

 

[Baluncore]

What applications (except usage in rectifying infrared nanoantennas for harvesting thermal energy) would find a diode that could rectify AC having infrared frequency?

Frequency mixers for IR communications and data multiplexing.

Could nanoscaled thermionic diodes be used for that?

No. One side of a thermionic diode is heated, and they have a space between the electrodes. The very small gap between electrodes would result in both electrodes getting hot.

 

[user-000]

Frequency mixers for IR communications and data multiplexing

So, if such diode is designed, will a breakthrough or a major progress be reached in these areas?

 

[Baluncore]

So, if such diode is designed, will a breakthrough or a major progress be reached in these areas?

Probably not.
There are many ways of doing the same thing with optics or optoelectronics.

 

[tech99]

Thermionic diodes were tried for the lower microwave bands, mainly for measurement equipment, but were very insensitive. The main issue is transit time.