Experimental realization of magnetic energy concentration and transmission at a distance by metamaterials

TL;DR

This paper reports the design, construction, and experimental validation of a superconductor-ferromagnetic metamaterial capable of concentrating and transmitting magnetic energy over distances, advancing wireless power transfer technologies.

Contribution

It presents the first experimental realization of a metamaterial that concentrates and transmits magnetic energy at a distance, confirming theoretical predictions.

Findings

Successful construction and testing of the metamaterial.

Demonstrated magnetic energy concentration and transmission.

Ferromagnetic metamaterials perform nearly as well as superconducting ones.

Abstract

Controlling electromagnetic energy is essential for an efficient and sustainable society. A key requirement is concentrating magnetic energy in a desired volume of space in order to either extract the energy to produce work or store it. Metamaterials have opened new possibilities for controlling electromagnetic energy. Recently, a superconductor-ferromagnetic metamaterial that allows unprecedented concentration and amplification of magnetic energy, and also its transmission at distance through free space, has been devised theoretically. Here we design and build an actual version of the superconductor-ferromagnetic metamaterial and experimentally confirm these properties. We show that also a ferromagnetic metamaterial, without superconducting parts, can achieve concentration and transmission of energy with only a slight decrease in the performance. Transmission of magnetic energy at a distance by magnetic metamaterials may provide new ways of enhancing wireless power transmission, where efficiency depends critically on the magnetic coupling strength between source and receiver.