Abstract
We apply the theory of linear antennas to metal‐barrier‐metal (MBM) devices. An expression is derived for the optical voltage induced across the insulating barrier, taking into account that the metal conductivity is in the relaxation region for infrared and visible radiation. It is shown that the optical voltage should drop with frequency according to ω−3. This ω−3 dependence suggests that we should look for new mechanisms in order to extend the usefulness of MBM devices into the visible region.