Wireless power transfer (WPT) technology has received much attention due to its flexibility and safety, becoming an important area of research and development for various applications. However, conventional WPT systems are often constrained by the inherent properties of physical circuit components, leading to limitations in power density and transmission efficiency. The advent of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) materials offers a promising pathway to significantly enhance WPT performance by leveraging the nearly zero resistance and higher current-carrying capacity of HTS materials. This review comprehensively examines the state-of-the-art in HTS devices and HTS-based wireless power transfer (HTS-WPT) technology. By systematically analyzing the theoretical and experimental advances in HTS-WPT systems, this review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of their advantages and limitations, offering insights for future research and practical implementations in various promising applications. • Superconducting materials and circuit components are thoroughly surveyed and discussed. • Research on HTS-WPT systems is comprehensively reviewed and evaluated. • Potential applications of HTS-WPT systems based on their characteristics are recommended. • Future research directions and limitations of HTS-WPT systems are revealed.
Wireless power transfer (WPT) technology has received much attention due to its flexibility and safety, becoming an important area of research and development for various applications. However, conventional WPT systems are often constrained by the inherent properties of physical circuit components, leading to limitations in power density and transmission efficiency. The advent of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) materials offers a promising pathway to significantly enhance WPT performance by leveraging the nearly zero resistance and higher current-carrying capacity of HTS materials. This review comprehensively examines the state-of-the-art in HTS devices and HTS-based wireless power transfer (HTS-WPT) technology. By systematically analyzing the theoretical and experimental advances in HTS-WPT systems, this review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of their advantages and limitations, offering insights for future research and practical implementations in various promising applications. • Superconducting materials and circuit components are thoroughly surveyed and discussed. • Research on HTS-WPT systems is comprehensively reviewed and evaluated. • Potential applications of HTS-WPT systems based on their characteristics are recommended. • Future research directions and limitations of HTS-WPT systems are revealed.
Abstract Terahertz (THz) technology is a rapidly developing field that explores the use of electromagnetic waves in the THz frequency range. The unique properties of THz waves have great application prospects in electromagnetic sensing, security inspection, non-destructive testing, medical diagnostics, biology, high-speed wireless communication, space science and so on. At present, the application of THz technology is still under continuous research and development, and its broad scientific prospects are recognized worldwide. THz frequency falls into the gap on the electromagnetic spectrum of electronics and optics, thus both classic microwave and optical technologies cannot be directly applied to the THz systems. New components, circuits and application systems are being developed for THz technology. Superconductivity is a quantum mechanical phenomenon and offers unique advantages for applications in high-frequency electromagnetic domains. Novel superconducting quantum devices are being exploited for THz wave radiation and detection, and many THz application systems. The high-T c superconducting (HTS) electronic devices have great potential in emerging THz technologies due to its very high-energy bandgap (well into THz regions) and much relaxed cooling requirement, and they offer strong prospect for the development of practical and portable THz systems. This paper provides an overview of the state-of-art development of HTS THz quantum devices and their application for THz sensing, imaging and communication. The review will start with a brief introduction about cutting-edge THz technology, the fundamental of superconductivity, Josephson effects and the HTS Josephson junctions. Then, the research progress and the latest achievement of HTS Josephson THz emitters, detectors and mixers will be reviewed, followed by their application examples in some THz systems. Finally, the conclusion, challenges and outlooks of the HTS technologies in THz applications are discussed.
Abstract The frequency alignment of resonators is essential for wireless power transfer (WPT) systems to achieve strongly coupled magnetic resonances. Here, we present a novel tunable superconducting resonator for WPT applications. The tunable resonator is composed of a high-temperature superconducting (HTS) coil and a variable HTS electrode capacitor bank based on two series YBa 2 C 3 O 7− x –SrTiO 3 –YBa 2 C 3 O 7− x thin films. The HTS coil serves as a wireless transmitting tool for power delivery, while the HTS electrode capacitor bank provides a frequency-tuning element for the resonator. At 77 K, the HTS materials cause low loss and thus achieve a high quality factor, while the incipient ferroelectric SrTiO 3 substrate with HTS electrodes has a nonlinear capacitance dependence on the applied electric field with no hysteresis. A voltage supply applies a continuous DC bias to both capacitors synchronously via the coil, adjusting the total capacitance and thus the resonant frequency. Our results indicate that the tunable resonator can achieve a tuning range of 12% from 775 kHz, offering a frequency-tuning functionality to superconducting WPT technology.
It has been nearly 110 years since the discovery of superconductors, and more than 30 years since the discovery of high temperature superconductors (HTS). Great progress has been made in the application of superconducting electronics in the last two decades. HTS microwave devices have shown much higher perfomance than the traditional ones and have found their ways to the industry applications in mobile communication, radar, and special communication applications. Owing to the ultrahigh sensitivity to magnetic fields and currents, superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) have been used as the irresplacible sensors in geological surveying, magnetic resonanc imaging, biomagnetic imaging, and other areas. The sensitivity of superconducting radiation detectors such as superconducting SIS mixer, superconducting hot electron bolometer, superconducting transition edge sensor, superconducting nanowire single photon detector, and superconducting microwave kinetic inductance detector are near the quantum limitation. They are now key technology in geophysics, astrophysics, quantum information science, biomedicine, and so on. Superconducting Josephson parametric amplifier has become a key element for superconducting quantum computing. Superconducting integrated circuit has been included in the international roadmap for devices and systems, and shows that having the potential to become one of the mainstreams for post-Moore information processing technology. In metrology, superconducting Josephson effect and Josephson junction array devices have been widely used in the redefinition of quantum voltage reference and basic units of the International system of Units. Superconducting electronics plays an important role in the current quantum information technology boom, which in turn promotes the development of superconducting electronics. This review will brief introduce the research and application of superconducting electronics in China in recent years.
Wireless information and power transfer (WIPT) enables more sustainable and resilient communications due to the fact that it avoids frequent battery charging and replacement. However, it also suffers from possible information interception due to the open nature of wireless channels. Compared to traditional secure communications, secrecy wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) has several distinct characteristic features. Wireless power transfer may increase vulnerability to eavesdropping, since a power receiver as a potential eavesdropper usually has a shorter access distance than an information receiver. On the other hand, wireless power transfer can be exploited to enhance wireless security. This article reviews the security issues in various SWIPT scenarios, with an emphasis on revealing the challenges and opportunities for implementing SWIPT. Furthermore, we provide a survey on a variety of physical layer security techniques to improve secrecy performance. In particular, we propose to use massive MIMO techniques to enhance power transfer efficiency and secure information transmission simultaneously. Finally, we discuss several potential research directions to further enhance the security in SWIPT systems.
This paper reviews our major technical achievement in high-Tcsuperconducting (HTS) terahertz (THz) receivers or heterodyne mixers in recent years. By virtue of innovative on-chip antenna/circuit designs, accurate device modelling and simulation, and advanced YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) step-edge junction technology, we have successfully developed a series of HTS Josephson THz mixers with superior performance in terms of operating temperature, intermediate-frequency (IF) bandwidth, conversion gain and noise temperature. These mixers serve as promising receiver frontends for THz wireless communication and sensing systems.
Since the discovery of the high-transition-temperature (T c ) superconductive oxide materials, there has been very substantial progress in the understanding and control of these materials in thin film form. Although the initial projections of rapid and pervasive applicability of the high T c materials in the market place have not been met, the sensibly reproducible synthesis of high-quality thin films on substrate wafers of up to 50.8 mm diameter has generated a wide variety of preprototype microwave components, some of which are already edging into the market place. The current state of the microwave properties of low T c and high T c thin film materials will be reviewed and selected examples of preprototype devices drawn from low T c and high T c technology will be described. These components include transmission lines, filters, mixers and amplifiers for microwave signals, and information processing circuits for wideband analogue and high-speed digital waveforms. Speculation is offered on the long-term applications of superconducting electronics. Despite the substantial progress in materials, much more is required. The technology which must be developed in order to deliver practical superconducting circuits will be highlighted.