Wireless non-radiative energy transfer
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsJohn D. Joannopoulos, Aristeidis Karalis, Marin Soljacic
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The electromagnetic energy transfer device includes a first resonator structure receiving energy from an external power supply. The first resonator structure has a first Q-factor. A second resonator structure is positioned distal from the first resonator structure, and supplies useful working power to an external load. The second resonator structure has a second Q-factor. The distance between the two resonators can be larger than the characteristic size of each resonator. Non-radiative energy transfer between the first resonator structure and the second resonator structure is mediated through coupling of their resonant-field evanescent tails.
Claims70
A method of transferring electromagnetic energy comprising:
- providing a first electromagnetic resonator structure receiving energy from an external power supply, said first resonator structure having a first mode with a resonant frequency ω1, an intrinsic loss rate Γ1, and a first Q-factor Q1=ω1/(2Γ1),
- providing a second electromagnetic resonator structure being positioned distal from said first resonator structure and not electrically wired to the first resonator structure, said second resonator structure having a second mode with a resonant frequency ω2, an intrinsic loss rate Γ2, and a second Q-factor Q2=ω2/(2Γ2),
- transferring electromagnetic energy from said first resonator structure to said second resonator structure over a distance D that is smaller than each of the resonant wavelengths λ1 and λ2 corresponding to the resonant frequencies ω1 and ω2, respectively,
- wherein the electromagnetic resonator structures are designed to have Q1>100 and Q2>100.
An electromagnetic energy transfer system comprising:
- a first electromagnetic resonator structure receiving energy from an external power supply, said first resonator structure having a first mode with a resonant frequency ω1, an intrinsic loss rate Γ1, and a first Q-factor Q1ω1/(2Γ1), and
- a second electromagnetic resonator structure being positioned distal from said first resonator structure and not electrically wired to the first resonator structure, said second resonator structure having a second mode having a resonant frequency ω2, said second resonator structure having a second mode with a resonant frequency ω2, an intrinsic loss rate Γ2, and a second Q-factor Q2=ω2/(2Γ2),
- wherein said first resonator transfers electromagnetic energy to said second resonator over a distance D that is smaller than each of the resonant wavelengths λ1 and λ2 corresponding to the resonant frequencies w1 and ω2, respectively,
- wherein the electromagnetic resonator structures are designed to have Q1>100 and Q2>100.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.