Abstract
In this work, we present a high efficiency far-field millimeter wave (mmWave)-based wireless power transfer (WPT) system using a Cu/Co metaconductor (MC) consisting of multiple nanolayered nonmagnetic copper (Cu) and ferromagnetic cobalt (Co). This marks the first introduction of the MC approach for WPT applications. The WPT system comprises a transmitter (Tx), receiver (Rx), and rectifier circuit, with all cruitial components, including the Tx and Rx antennas, as well as the feeding lines and rectifier lines, fabricated using Cu/Co MC. This use of Cu/Co MC offers a remarkable reduction in conductor loss by effectively mitigating the skin effect, leading to a significant enhancement in the overall power transfer efficiency of the WPT system from end to end. To compare its performance, we also fabricated a solid Cu-based WPT system with an equivalent total metal thickness to that of the Cu/Co MC-based one. In our experimental analysis, the Cu/Co MC-based WPT system clearly demonstrates superior performance over the solid Cu-based system at a distance of 20 cm. The power transfer efficiency shows a remarkable increase from 0.42% to 7.5%, resulting in a notable 17.85-fold improvement with the Cu/Co MC-based WPT system compared to its solid Cu-based counterpart. Furthermore, the MC-based WPT technology enables an impressive 81% reduction in size and weight without any compromise in performance. These advancements hold great promise for various WPT applications, particularly in portable and space-related contexts. With its reduced size, decreased weight, and improved efficiency, the Cu/Co MC-based WPT system is expected to open up new possibilities and opportunities for a wide range of applications.