On the reception of electromagnetic waves

The energy that can be obtained from an electromagnetic wave by a localized receiver is considered for the non-harmonic case. If the currents in the receiver are chosen so as to maximize the amount of energy obtained, with conditions implying that the receiver is quiescent outside a finite interval of reception, then there exists a well-defined maximum. For a limited interval of transmission, this maximum depends closely on the length of the interval of reception. If the restriction on the receiving current is relaxed, then there exist circumstances in which the wave theory considerations must be supplemented by allowing for induction effects.