Waveguide Receiver Array for Joint Communication, Sensing, and Power Transfer Systems

This article introduces, for the first time, a waveguide receiver array tailored for joint communication, sensing power, and transfer systems. The receiver utilizes an orthomode transducer (OMT) to achieve polarization diversity, effectively doubling channel capacity and enhancing spectral efficiency without adding circuit complexity or increasing the number of components compared to traditional single-polarization designs. In addition, the receiver integrates a differential rectifier, fabricated using 65-nm bulk CMOS technology, to enable wireless power transfer. This integration allows the system to support both wireless communication and energy harvesting simultaneously. A mathematical model is developed to guide the receiver’s design. To validate the concept, a prototype receiver is fabricated and tested. The receiver successfully generates dc power from a 28-GHz wireless power transfer signal, achieving a peak power conversion efficiency (PCE) of up to 18%. Furthermore, it successfully demodulates a range of M-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) signals, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed design. These results position the multifunctional receiver array as a promising solution for millimeter-wave Internet of Things (IoT) applications.