Molecules/Matter & Energy
A new class of materials could boost wireless power transmission, plus more in this week’s news
By Science News
Metamaterial power
A power relay system made of metamaterials — substances
engineered to interact with electromagnetic energy in unusual ways — could give
a big boost to technologies that transmit power wirelessly through the air.
Cell phone docks and other devices that charge cordless electronics are
currently limited by laws of physics; the efficiency of this power transfer
drops off steeply over longer distances. But David Smith of Duke University,
who developed the first metamaterial invisibility cloak in 2006, describes online
February 11 at arXiv.org how to design a superlens that can enhance the
transmission of energy by a factor of 10. —Devin Powell