High Efficiency, Low-Power RF Energy Harvesting Tri-Band Rectenna for Mid-Band 5G and Wi-Fi 6E Applications

Authors

  • Abdelkrim Belhedri Department of Electronics and Telecommunications University Kasdi Merbah, Ouargla, 30000 rue de Ghardaia B.P. 511, Algeria
  • Boualem Mekimah Department of Electronics and Telecommunications University Kasdi Merbah, Ouargla, 30000 rue de Ghardaia B.P. 511, Algeria https://orcid.org/0009-0000-8201-5895
  • Boualem Hammache Department of Electronics University Freres Mentouri, Constantine 1, Constantine 25000, Algeria
  • Tayeb A. Denidni Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) Université du Québec, Montréal, 800 rue de la Gauchetière QC H5A 1K6, Canada
  • Abderraouf Messai Department of Electronics University Freres Mentouri, Constantine 1, Constantine 25000, Algeria
  • Mohammed Boulesbaa Department of Electronics and Telecommunications University Kasdi Merbah, Ouargla, 30000 rue de Ghardaia B.P. 511, Algeria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13052/2026.ACES.J.410506

Keywords:

Power conversion efficiency (PCE), radio frequency energy harvesting (RFEH), rectifier circuit, Schottky diode, tri-band rectenna

Abstract

In this paper, a new tri-band rectenna is presented for radio frequency energy harvesting (RFEH) deployment. The proposed RFEH system integrates two primary components: an antenna and a rectifier. First, the antenna consists of a CPW-fed circularly-shaped patch incorporating three slots. Each slot is strategically introduced to reject a specific band. Second, the rectifier circuit is structured to ensure an efficient RF-to-DC conversion over three bands. High efficiency peaks are achieved at 78%, 76%, and 60% respectively at 3 GHz, 4 GHz, and 6.5 GHz, under 5 dBm input power, with overall efficiency average exceeding 71%. Peak DC output voltages of 2.52 V, 2.47 V, and 2.20 V are obtained at the same frequencies under the same conditions. The results confirm that the proposed rectenna effectively spans both the 5G mid-band and Wi-Fi 6E band, enabling the simultaneous and reliable powering of low-power devices. Furthermore, the antenna exhibits high frequency repeatability, achieved through the independent tuning of each band via strategically integrated slots.

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Author Biographies

Abdelkrim Belhedri, Department of Electronics and Telecommunications University Kasdi Merbah, Ouargla, 30000 rue de Ghardaia B.P. 511, Algeria

Abdelkrim Belhedri received his Engineer degree in Electronics, from Electronics Department of UKMO University, Ouargla, Algeria, in 2006 and Magister degree in microwaves and signal processing from UKMO University, Ouargla, Algeria, in 2013. He obtained his Ph.D. degree in Electronics in 2025 from University of Constantine 1, Algeria. He is currently an associate professor in the Department of Electronics and Telecommunications at University Kasdi Merbah, Ouargla, Algeria. His research interests are in supraconductors-based antennas, microstrip patch antenna design, RF energy harvesting rectennas, RFID systems, EBG structures, and microwave circuits.

Boualem Mekimah, Department of Electronics and Telecommunications University Kasdi Merbah, Ouargla, 30000 rue de Ghardaia B.P. 511, Algeria

Boualem Mekimah received his Engineer degree in Communication, Electronics Department, from University of Jijel, Algeria, in 2010 and Magister degree in Microwaves and signal processing from University Kasdi Merbah, Ouargla, Algeria, in 2013. He obtained his Ph.D. degree in Microwaves and Signal Processing from University Mentouri Constantine 1, Constantine, Algeria, in 2020. He is currently an associate professor in the Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, University Kasdi Merbah, Ouargla, Algeria. His research interests include ultra wideband (UWB) antennas, circularly polarized antennas, metamaterials-based antennas, EBG, AMC and FSS structures, RF energy harvesting rectennas, internet of things (IoT), RFID readers and tags, and photonic crystals (PC)-based sensors.

Boualem Hammache, Department of Electronics University Freres Mentouri, Constantine 1, Constantine 25000, Algeria

Boualem Hammache received his Ph.D. degree in Telecommunications from the University of Constantine 1, in 2021 and his Master degree in Networks and Telecommunication Technologies from the University of Bordj Bou Arréridj Algeria, in 2013. He is currently associated with the Department of Electronics at the University of Bordj Bou Arréridj, Algeria. His research interests include microstrip antennas, UWB antennas, notched-band UWB antennas. Slot antenna, reconfigurable UWB antennas, circular polarized slot antennas, and Frequency selective surfaces (FSS).

Tayeb A. Denidni, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) Université du Québec, Montréal, 800 rue de la Gauchetière QC H5A 1K6, Canada

Tayeb A. Denidni received M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada, in 1990 and 1994, respectively. From 1994 to 2000, he was a Professor with the engineering department, Université du Quebec in Rimouski (UQAR), Rimouski, QC, Canada, where he founded the Telecommunications laboratory. Since 2000, he has been with the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS), University of Quebec, Montreal, QC, Canada. He founded the RF Laboratory, INRS-Energie, Materiaux et Telecommunications (INRS-EMT), Montreal. He has extensive experience in antenna design. He served as a Principal Investigator on many research projects sponsored by NSERC, FCI, and numerous industries. His current research areas of interest include reconfigurable antennas using electromagnetic bandgap and frequency-selective surface structures, dielectric resonator antennas, meta-material antennas, adaptive arrays, switched multi-beam antenna arrays, ultra wideband antennas, microwave, and development for wireless communications systems.

Abderraouf Messai, Department of Electronics University Freres Mentouri, Constantine 1, Constantine 25000, Algeria

Abderraouf Messai received his Ph.D. degree in 2007 from the University of Constantine in Algeria. He is a full professor in Electronic department, Faculty of Engineering at University of Constantine. His interest domains include artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT), numerical methods for electromagnetism analysis, electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) structures, UWB antennas, communication and networking systems, wireless networks, quantum cryptography, coding and decoding, quantum error correction codes, satellite networks constellations, electrical machines and their use in renewable energies applications.

Mohammed Boulesbaa, Department of Electronics and Telecommunications University Kasdi Merbah, Ouargla, 30000 rue de Ghardaia B.P. 511, Algeria

Mohammed Boulesbaa received his Engineer degree in Instrumentation, Electronics Department, from University of Jijel, Algeria, in 2006 and Magister degree in Electronics from University of Batna 2, Batna, Algeria, in 2008. He obtained his Ph.D. degree in Electronics in 2013 from University of Batna 2, Algeria. His research interests include thin-film materials for microelectronic and optoelectronic applications, photonic crystals for biosensing, logic gate and splitter applications, optical waveguides, RF biosensors, and microwave devices based on substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) technology. His work focuses on computational modeling and simulation using RSoft, COMSOL Multiphysics, HFSS, and MATLAB. He is the author and co-author of numerous publications in international journals and conference proceedings in the fields of photonics, optics, sensing, thin-film materials, and electronic devices. He is currently a full professor in the Department of Electronics and Telecommunications at the Faculty of New Information and Communication Technologies, University Kasdi Merbah Ouargla, Algeria.

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Published

2026-09-19

How to Cite

[1]
A. Belhedri, B. . Mekimah, B. Hammache, T. A. Denidni, A. Messai, and M. Boulesbaa, “High Efficiency, Low-Power RF Energy Harvesting Tri-Band Rectenna for Mid-Band 5G and Wi-Fi 6E Applications”, ACES Journal, vol. 41, no. 5, pp. 440–448, Sep. 2026.

Issue

2026: Vol 41 Iss 5

Section

General Submission

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