Work

A Highly Efficient, Scalable, Tetra-Band Metamaterial-Based Ambient RF Energy Harvester

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This article presents an innovative metamaterial-based radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting system designed to efficiently capture ambient RF energy across multiple frequency bands, including Wi-Fi (2.45 GHz) and 5G (0.9, 1.8, 2.1 GHz). Utilizing electric inductive-capacitive resonators and a rectification circuit, the system converts ambient RF energy into direct current (dc) power with high efficiency. Specifically, a single unit cell of the proposed$8 \times 8$harvester is capable of generating up to$562~\mu $W under an RF ambient power density of$40~\mu $W/cm2. This high efficiency and scalability make it ideal for powering low-power Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices and sensors. The design emphasizes optimizing the unit cell to minimize computational complexity, enabling a more straightforward and scalable implementation. Experimental results demonstrate the system’s ability to efficiently harvest RF power across the specified bands, validating its potential as a sustainable solution for the growing power demands of IoT networks.

Source: IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques

DOI: 10.1109/tmtt.2025.3555848

Authors: Aaron M. Graham, Spyridon Nektarios Daskalakis, Vincent Fusco, Manos M. Tentzeris, Stylianos D. Asimonis

Institutions: Queen's University Belfast, Heriot-Watt University, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Patras

Language: English

Topic: Energy Harvesting in Wireless Networks

Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: green

Funders: University of Patras, Department for the Economy