Wireless technology used to power light bulb

CAMBRIDGE, MASS.  Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology made a 60-watt light bulb glow by sending it energy wirelessly  from a device 7 feet away  potentially heralding a future in which cellphones and other gadgets get their juice without having to be plugged in.

The breakthrough, disclosed Thursday in Science Express, the online publication of the journal Science, is being called "WiTricity" by the scientists.

The concept of sending power wirelessly isn't new, but it has been dismissed as inefficient because the electromagnetic energy generated by the charging device radiates in all directions.

One advance was announced last fall, when MIT physics professor Marin Soljacic said he had figured out how to use specially tuned waves that don't radiate as much. The key is to get the recharging device and the gadget that needs power on the same frequency, similar to how a radio picks up only one station at a time.

Soljacic's team also stresses that this "magnetic coupling" has a low range and is safe for humans and other living things.

The next step was to demonstrate the principle in experiments, which is what was described in the new paper in Science.

The MIT team said it found success with the 60-watt light bulb that had "no physical connection" with the power-generating appliance.

The research was funded by the Army Research Office, National Science Foundation and the Energy Department.

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BBC: Physics promises wireless power - Dr. Marin Soljačić (Article)

"There are so many autonomous devices such as cell phones and laptops that have emerged in the last few years," said Assistant Professor Marin Soljacic from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and one of the researchers behind the work. "We started thinking, 'it would be really convenient if you didn't have to recharge these things'. ...

Prof. Dr. Marin Soljačić one of the top innovators under the age of 35 (Article)

Prof. Marin Soljačić was born in Zagreb, Croatia on  February 7th, 1974. An expert in photonic crystals and nonlinear optics. Co-authored more than 60 scientific articles, a co-inventor on 12 patents (10 more pending), given more than 40 invited talks around the world. In 2005 awared Adolph Lomb Medal of the Optical Society of America. In 2006, chosen by Technology Review to be one of the "TR35": top 35 innovators under the age of 35....

Adolph Lomb Medal 2005 Marin Soljacic (Article)

Adolph Lomb was OSA's treasurer from its founding until his death in 1932. In recognition of his devotion to OSA and the advancement of optics, the Adolph Lomb Medal, established in 1940, is presented to a person who has made a noteworthy contribution to optics at an early age. The candidate cannot be older than the age of 35....