Wasted radio signals can be converted into electricity using a new kind of antenna rooted in how electrons behave at a quantum level.
Small devices like light sensors or network components could soon harvest power from background Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals — using a sophisticated new component that can turn even the faintest electromagnetic waves into electricity.
Researchers have created a highly sensitive “rectenna,” or rectifying antenna, a component that exploits quirks of quantum physics to efficiently convert electromagnetic energy into direct current (DC) electricity. The researchers used this novel approach of capturing electrons to power a commercial thermometer.
