In a monumental leap for electronic and optoelectronic technology, researchers have unveiled an extraordinary nonlinear Hall rectenna that operates at room temperature and covers an unprecedented bandwidth exceeding 100 GHz. This breakthrough, reported in Nature Electronics, promises to dismantle longstanding constraints in device performance governed by traditional semiconductor physics, fundamentally altering how signals are rectified and mixed across a broad spectrum. At the heart of this innovation lies a type-II Weyl semimetal, niobium iridium tetratelluride (NbIrTe₄), a material whose exotic electronic structure and topological characteristics empower a new paradigm in high-frequency rectification and wave mixing.
Classically, nonlinear electron transport in doped p–n junctions serves as the backbone of rectifiers and mixers, devices crucial to countless applications including communications, sensing, and photonics. However, these conventional devices face intrinsic limits tied to thermal voltage thresholds and carrier transit times, restricting their operating frequencies and sensitivity. These bottlenecks have spurred intensive investigations into new materials and mechanisms that might transcend such boundaries. The current discovery leverages the geometric and topological properties of NbIrTe₄ to harness nonlinear Hall rectification, a fundamentally distinct process that sidesteps many inherent limitations of traditional semiconductor diodes.
To understand the significance of this advance, one must delve into the astonishing properties of Weyl semimetals. In NbIrTe₄, the complicated interplay of spin-orbit coupling and crystal symmetry breaks conventional electronic behavior, generating Weyl nodes—points in momentum space where conduction and valence bands intersect, hosting quasiparticles that mimic relativistic Weyl fermions. This topology engenders unique electromagnetic responses, notably a strong nonlinear Hall effect unachievable in ordinary conductors. Exploiting this phenomenon underpins the creation of the new rectenna—a device combining both rectification and antenna functions in a single entity, operating efficiently across an extraordinary range of terahertz and microwave frequencies.
The experimental setup utilized NbIrTe₄ crystals meticulously synthesized for optimal crystallographic quality, ensuring robust Weyl features and minimal scattering. Upon exposure to electromagnetic waves spanning 20 GHz to beyond 800 GHz, the device exhibits outstanding nonlinear responses, generating a frequency comb that astonishingly surpasses the 27th harmonic order. This capability to produce such high-order harmonics at ambient conditions signifies a radical improvement over conventional electronic components constrained by slow carrier dynamics and thermal noise. The implications are vast, suggesting pathways to ultra-broadband signal processing that merges photonic and electronic domains without intricate cryogenic infrastructure.
Moreover, the researchers demonstrated subharmonic mixing at power levels as low as –25 dBm, signaling that these devices can operate with remarkably low input energy—essential for sustainable and miniaturized electronic systems. The mixed sideband frequencies produced extend over a tunable range exceeding 100 GHz, while intermediate-frequency signals advance over 27 GHz. Together, these features present a versatile platform for next-generation communication networks where high-frequency signals need compact, integrated frequency conversion with minimal loss and noise.
Such an all-in-one Hall rectenna not only pushes the frontline of device physics but also initiates a shift in design philosophy. Traditional frequency mixers and rectifiers often rely on complex semiconductor junctions with strict doping profiles to achieve nonlinearity. This device, conversely, benefits from intrinsic band geometry and topological effects, leveraging the Berry curvature and related quantum mechanical phenomena to achieve nonlinear rectification without extrinsic doping. This inherent robustness translates into higher operating temperatures and improved longevity, addressing a chronic robustness issue in high-frequency electronics.
The ramifications extend across multiple sectors. In wireless communications, the ability to efficiently mix and rectify signals in the terahertz domain at room temperature could enable ultrafast data transfer rates and new wireless architectures supporting 6G and beyond. Terahertz imaging and spectroscopy, fields currently hampered by inefficient detectors and mixers, would gain substantially from this technology. Furthermore, this device’s room-temperature operation simplifies system integration, reducing both operational complexity and energy consumption which have traditionally limited wider adoption of high-frequency technologies.
Delving deeper, the nonlinear Hall effect arises from the Berry curvature dipole in the material’s momentum space—a vector field describing the geometric phase acquired by electron wavefunctions. In NbIrTe₄, this dipole is exceptionally pronounced due to its type-II Weyl nature, facilitating second-order nonlinear responses in current relative to applied electric fields. By engineering microwave and terahertz radiation to interact with these electronic states, the material converts electromagnetic waves directly into DC signals and new frequency outputs, encapsulating rectification and mixing in a phenomenon hitherto only theorized for such systems.
Experimentally, integrating the NbIrTe₄ layers with proper electrical contacts and antenna geometries optimizes the coupling of radiation with the Weyl states, ensuring high efficiency. The researchers meticulously characterized the frequency response, power dependencies, and temperature stability of the device, confirming theoretical predictions and benchmarking its performance against existing technologies. Device fabrication techniques and measurement protocols underscore a path toward scalable production and real-world deployment in telecommunications and sensing devices, heralding a new chapter in applied condensed matter physics.
In addition to its technological virtues, this discovery provides a fertile ground for exploring new physics of nonlinear topological phenomena. The interplay of topology and strong field effects in NbIrTe₄ offers insights into non-perturbative electron dynamics, potentially inspiring further explorations into quantum materials that exhibit exotic rectification effects. This opens avenues for integrating quantum electronic behaviors into practical device platforms with room temperature operability, bridging fundamental science and engineering.
The combination of subharmonic mixing, broadband frequency comb generation, and tunable sideband widths makes the NbIrTe₄ Hall rectenna a Swiss Army knife for future electronics. Its ability to function across microwave, millimeter-wave, and terahertz frequencies in a unified architecture is unprecedented, challenging the conventional segmented approach where different frequency bands necessitate distinct devices. This unification supports innovative applications in integrated photonics and radio-frequency systems, enabling compact multifunctional hardware.
Furthermore, the nonlinear Hall rectenna promises significant energy efficiency advantages. Operating effectively at low input power levels reduces thermal load and power consumption in communication nodes and remote sensors. This is critical for the emerging Internet of Things and edge computing paradigms, where devices must operate autonomously for extended periods. Its all-in-one design minimizes component count and interconnect losses, translating into leaner, more robust modules.
Looking forward, the development prompts exciting questions regarding material optimization and device engineering. Enhancing crystal quality, tuning the Fermi level through gating or chemical substitution, and exploring heterostructure designs may unlock even richer nonlinear responses and frequency ranges. The impact of strain and external fields on the topological features could provide additional control knobs for device functionality, fostering a versatile platform adaptable to various operational scenarios.
In conclusion, this all-in-one nonlinear Hall rectenna based on NbIrTe₄ embodies a remarkable confluence of topological physics and device innovation. Its broad bandwidth, room temperature stability, and multifunctionality mark a transformative advance in high-frequency electronics. As researchers push the boundaries of performance and integration, this platform sets a new standard for how light and matter interact in nonlinear regimes, thereby empowering the next generation of communication and sensing technologies with unparalleled capability and efficiency.
Subject of Research: Nonlinear Hall rectification and wave mixing in type-II Weyl semimetal NbIrTe₄
Article Title: An all-in-one Hall rectenna with a bandwidth over 100 GHz
Article References:
Hu, Z., Pan, X., Ahammed, R. et al. An all-in-one Hall rectenna with a bandwidth over 100 GHz. Nat Electron 9, 140–151 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41928-026-01574-8
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: February 2026
Tags: 100 GHz frequency rectennaadvanced optoelectronic materialshigh-frequency electronic deviceshigh-speed signal mixingniobium iridium tetratelluride propertiesnonlinear electron transport mechanismsnonlinear Hall rectenna technologyroom temperature rectificationsemiconductor physics limitationstopological materials in electronicstype-II Weyl semimetal applicationsultra-wide bandwidth rectification
