Simultaneous Wireless Information and Power Transfer Systems
Summary
Simultaneous Wireless Information and Power Transfer (SWIPT) systems enable the concurrent delivery of data and energy over radio‐frequency links, offering a pathway to self-sustained wireless devices and networks. Central to SWIPT is the design of transceiver architectures that balance energy harvesting and information decoding, commonly via power-splitting or time-switching schemes at the receiver. Advances in multiple-antenna techniques exploit spatial degrees of freedom for joint beamforming, enhancing energy transfer efficiency while preserving signal quality. Nonlinear characteristics of rectifying circuits have spurred novel signal designs that capitalise on channel fading and transmit diversity to boost energy-conversion efficiency without degrading information throughput. SWIPT is gaining traction in applications ranging from Internet of Things deployments and wireless sensor networks to next-generation cellular systems, where minimising reliance on batteries or external power sources can yield gains in operational longevity, spectral efficiency and network resilience. Integration with cooperative relaying, cognitive radio, and intelligent surfaces further extends coverage and reliability, underscoring the global significance of this dual-function paradigm.
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Simultaneous Wireless Information and Power Transfer Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in simultaneous wireless information and power transfer systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
SWIPT: A communication paradigm that transmits information and power simultaneously over the same RF signals.
Power splitting: A receiver architecture that divides the incoming signal into separate streams for energy harvesting and data decoding.
Time switching: A receiver technique that alternates between periods dedicated solely to energy harvesting and periods for information reception.
Beamforming: The use of multiple antennas to direct signal energy spatially, enhancing both information rate and harvesting efficiency.
Energy harvester nonlinearity: The inherent nonlinear impedance and rectification characteristics of circuits that convert RF power to DC, which can be exploited to improve conversion efficiency.
References
- Simultaneous Wireless Information and Power Transfer With Cooperative Relaying for Next-Generation Wireless Networks: A Review. IEEE Access (2021).
- On the Beneficial Roles of Fading and Transmit Diversity in Wireless Power Transfer With Nonlinear Energy Harvesting. IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications (2018).
- Energy-Efficient SWIPT: From Fully Digital to Hybrid AnalogDigital Beamforming. IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology (2017).
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