While the system is still experimental, the team believes it will be able to charge mobile devices wirelessly and at a longer distance than currently possible.
The system created by UAB researchers is said to overcome the limitations of induction charging. It is made of metamaterials, which combine layers of ferromagnetic materials, and conductors such as copper. The metamaterials envelop the emitter and receiver and enable energy to be transferred between the two with ‘unprecedented’ efficiency.
According to the researchers, metamaterial crowns allowed transmission efficiency to be increased by a factor of 35. “And there is more room for improvement, since theoretically the efficiency can be increased even more if conditions and the design of the experiment are perfected,” said research director Àlvar Sánchez.
Researcher Jordi Prat elaborated: “Enveloping the two circuits with metamaterial shells has the same effect as bringing them closer together; it’s as if the space between them literally disappears.”
