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In this letter, we propose a magneto-inductive wave (MIW) metamaterial cavity for enhanced mid-range wireless power transfer (WPT) applications. Cavity operation is achieved by controlling the propagation of MIWs at lower megahertz frequencies. The cavity is realized by omitting a cell and thereby breaking the periodicity of the closely coupled metamaterial slabs. The cavity in the proposed metamaterial effectively confines the MIWs into a subwavelength region. Consequently, it localizes the magnetic field in the WPT region and provides enhanced power transmission. When the proposed MIW metamaterial cavity is used, the measured efficiency improves significantly from 8.7 to 54.9%.

Wireless power transfer (WPT) provides a convenient method of delivering energy to multiple devices. With the increasing use of WPT, safety concerns inevitably create the need for a reliable control mechanism. Previous approaches in advanced WPT or metamaterial-enhanced WPT, however, have the limitation that neither the intensity nor the shape of the field-localizing area can be dynamically controlled. To address this limitation, we introduce the novel concept of a hotspot or power-focused region using field-localizing WPT. Using the proposed method, we provide experimental evidence demonstrating that the location, shape, and intensity of the hotspot can be manipulated as desired. The hotspot effectively enhances power delivery to the intended device while reducing leakage to unwanted areas. To dynamically reconfigure the hotspots, we propose an active metasurface with multi-functionality due to its frequency switching and tuning capability. The dynamic reconfiguring capability provides a wide range of versatile practical applications, overcoming the limitations associated with passive metamaterials. Because the location, shape, and intensity of hotspots can readily be controlled, the proposed method is not limited to WPT applications. It can also be used for a broad range of applications that require precise control of power delivery.

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