Patent ID: 7825366

Claim:
A system for extracting energy from a heat source comprising: a photonic crystal comprising a 2-D photonic crystal fiber responsive to the heat source, wherein: the photonic crystal generates an electromagnetic beam in response to incidence with the heat source, and the photonic crystal fiber exhibits a 2-D band gap in a plane substantially perpendicular to the length of the fiber such that a wavelength within the band gap is substantially confined in the plane perpendicular to the photonic crystal; said fiber comprising a cylindrical hollow core that extends the length of the fiber and serves as both a cavity and a waveguide substantially within the photonic crystal, said cavity responsive to the electromagnetic beam, wherein the waveguide transmits the electromagnetic beam to a specified location; a magnet around the 2-D photonic crystal fiber that creates an external magnetic field to orient dipole radiators within the photonic crystal along the length of the fiber such that the dipole radiators generate waves in the plane of the band gap which travel along the waveguide to more efficiently convert heat and transmit the electromagnetic beam to the specified location; and a power converter substantially collocated with the specified location, wherein the converter extracts energy in response to incidence with the electromagnetic beam.