Matching Network Elimination in Multiband Metasurface-Structured Rectennas for Wireless Power Transfer and Energy Harvesting

This paper presents a multiband metasurface-structured rectenna without using an impedance matching network for wireless power transfer and energy harvesting applications. The impedance matching network for nonlinear devices like rectifiers in multi- or broadband frequency bands is difficult to design, so matching network elimination can improve the conversion efficiency of the rectenna. Due to the special properties of a metasurface-structured antenna (which can potentially excite multiple frequency bands and tune the ratio between different frequencies), it becomes an appropriate candidate to achieve the high impedance values at different frequency bands to realize the matching network elimination in WPT and EH operating frequency bands. The simulated and measured results verify that this proposed rectenna can operate at 0.9, 1.4 and 2.45 GHz without the need for a matching network. In addition, the conversion efficiency of this rectenna is around 50%, 60%, and 40% at 0.9, 1.4, and 2.45 GHz.