Polarization-Independent Cross-Dipole Energy Harvesting Surface

We present an energy harvesting surface (EHS) designed for electromagnetic energy harvesting and wireless power transfer consisting of an array of cross-dipole metallic elements. The EHS unit cell of the proposed harvester is based on two cross-dipoles that enable capturing the energy from various angles of illuminations at an operating frequency of 3 GHz. The simulation results yielded a radiation to ac efficiency of 94% at multiple angles of polarization. As a proof of concept, a finite array of 7 × 7 unit cells was fabricated and tested experimentally. The experimental results of the EHS energy harvesting array show an overall radiation to dc harvesting efficiency of 74% at various polarization angles. A critical design feature of the proposed cross-dipole EHS array is that it allows direct matching to a rectifying circuitry at the dipoles plane. The design also enhances the available power per diode, thus, maximizing the rectifying diodes' turn-on time.