Communications of the ACM
MIT Aims to Turn Wi-Fi Signals Into Usable Power With Energy-Harvesting Design
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have unveiled a blueprint for a device to convert ambient terahertz waves into direct current.
Credit: Jose-Luis Olivares, MIT
ny device that sends out a Wi-Fi signal also emits terahertz waves —electromagnetic waves with a frequency somewhere between microwaves and infrared light. These high-frequency radiation waves, known as "T-rays," are also produced by almost anything that registers a temperature, including our own bodies and the inanimate objects around us.
Terahertz waves are pervasive in our daily lives, and if harnessed, their concentrated power could potentially serve as an alternate energy source. Imagine, for instance, a cellphone add-on that passively soaks up ambient T-rays and uses their energy to charge your phone. However, to date, terahertz waves are wasted energy, as there has been no practical way to capture and convert them into any usable form.
Now physicists at MIT have come up with a blueprint for a device they believe would be able to convert ambient terahertz waves into a direct current, a form of electricity that powers many household electronics.
From SciTechDaily
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