An innovative new system has the ability to transmit radio waves with virtually no electrical power

Breaking the laws of physics to create an ultra-low-powered radio device was deemed impossible due to the requirement for perpetual motion to generate energy, as stated by the second law of thermodynamics. However, a group of scientists has found a way to achieve this feat without breaking this fundamental law of physics.

As noted by engineers Joshua R. Smith and Zerina Kapetanovic in a post on The Conversation, creating this device didn’t require breaking the laws of physics, but instead a new perspective on the problem.

A team of scientists has developed a remarkable new system that can transmit radio waves using virtually no electricity. Conventional wisdom suggests that creating a low-powered radio device would require a perpetual motion to generate energy, which is forbidden by the second law of thermodynamics. However, the scientists managed to bypass this obstacle by using random thermal noise instead of a powered signal source.

The scientists kept electrons in a resistor at room temperature and kept other electrons in an antenna at a different temperature, which generated the small amount of power needed to run the ultra-low-powered radio device. The different temperatures allowed the warmer electrons to create noise when interacting with the cooler electrons, providing the energy required. The researchers outlined the process in a paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The ultra-low-powered radio device operates similarly to a backscatter device, but in a much simpler way. The researchers didn’t violate any laws of physics to make it work, and the device required no power for the resistor, only two watts for the antenna to stay cool. While the laws of physics can be tricky to work within, the researchers’ innovative approach demonstrates that it’s possible to transmit radio waves with almost no electricity.