Antenna-coupled dual band RF energy harvester design
Radio Frequency (RF) energy harvesting aims at collecting and converting ambient RF wave energy into storable electrical energy to power electronics. The reported RF energy density in urban areas can be as high as 0.5μW/cm2 which corresponds to an input power level of 16.6 μW (−17.6 dBm) at 1800MHz [1]. It is thus appealing to convert the RF energy in the environment into electrical energy and use it to directly power mobile devices, remote sensors data loggers, low power digital applications, or charge batteries [2]. In comparison with conventional battery-based power sources, the RF energy as a source is ubiquitous and can be harvested wirelessly. In addition, the harvesting of RF energy makes use of the amount of energy that will be otherwise wasted. Therefore, it makes use of the RF energy more efficient and is an environmentally friendly practice.