High-efficiency rectifier circuit at 2.45 GHz for low-input-power RF energy harvesting

Abstract

This paper presents a new approach for a high-efficiency rectifier circuit design at 2.45 GHz. Due to nonlinear behavior it is not trivial to predict a correct model of a Schottky diode. When modeling, one should take into account the presence of the harmonics. To increase the conversion efficiency an electromagnetic resonant phenomenon is necessary. To validate this method, we developed a rectifier circuit capable of recovering signals at 2.45 GHz with a high RF-DC efficiency conversion. The prototype shows a maximum conversion efficiency of 70.4% for a RF input power of 0 dBm at 2.45 GHz.