Seebeck Nanoantennas for Solar Energy Harvesting
  We propose a mid-infrared device based on thermocouple optical antennas for light sensing and energy harvesting applications. We numerically demonstrate that antennas are able to generate low-power dc signals by beneficing of the thermoelectric properties of the metals that constitute them. We theoretically evaluate the optical-to-electrical conversion efficiency for harvesting applications and finally discuss strategies to increase its performance. Thermocouple optical antennas therefore open the route toward the design of photovoltaic devices. 
E. Briones, J. Briones, A. Cuadrado, J. C. Martinez-Anton, S.   McMurtry, M. Hehn, F. Montaigne, J. Alda and F. J. Gonzalez
cond-mat.mtrl-sci