as like a radio antenna, only for the sun.

It's working off of very similar principles,

where we instead have very tiny antenna

that match the size of the energy coming

from the sun or visible light.

And when that energy is coupled into the antenna,

then another device is used to extract the energy

and turn it into electricity.

So making a rectenna is actually a pretty simple process,

which was part of the beauty of the discovery.

You basically take any type of conductive substrate,

and we can grow these carbon nanotubes

like a carpet-- vertical off the substrate.

We grow our nanotube.

We can formally coat them with something

that is an electrical insulator, then

we deposit another layer of metal on top

to create a so-called metal insulator or metal diode

structure.

And so that diode structure is important,

because it's the fastest diode in the world.

And it's the only diode that's fast enough to open and close

the gate at the speed of solar energy oscillating

in an antenna.

What gets me excited today is that we've done it.

That we've actually achieved the goal that

was six years in the making.

But that's enough to get me out of bed every day,

because I think if we achieve that goal,

we're going to make solar cells that

are twice as efficient of what we have today.

And that, to me, is an opportunity

to change the world in a very big way.