Recently, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have discovered a new method that allows charging devices through radiation in the air, instead of relying on the wireless charging pads we commonly see.
Specifically, this new technology will use Terahertz radiation in the air to charge devices. In the electromagnetic spectrum, Terahertz radiation lies between infrared and microwave, and it is emitted by many electronic devices during use. Typically, Wi-Fi modems also use this frequency range to transmit signals to connected devices.
Additionally, researchers have created a prototype to demonstrate the principles behind this new technology. This prototype consists of a small graphene sheet, coated with a layer of boron nitride underneath, along with two Ariel antennas responsible for receiving Terahertz radiation. This radiation will force the electrons in the graphene sheet to move in a flow to generate an electrical signal.
An important requirement for this device is that the graphene sheet must be sufficiently pure; when impurities are present in high quantities, the electron particles will scatter instead of flowing together to generate electrical energy.
Currently, this technology is still in the early testing phase, so the amount of power the prototype can generate is not yet strong enough to charge electronic devices. However, the research team believes that in the future, this technology has significant potential to develop into a charging method for our laptops and smartphones.
Who knows, in the near future, connecting devices to Wi-Fi may not only allow us to access the Internet but also help us fully charge our devices.
According to ibtimes