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Light-based wireless charging—also called optical wireless power transfer (OWPT)—sends energy as light to a receiver that converts some of it back into electricity. Recent work is improving that conversion and exploring better optics, beam control, and ways to distribute power. These advances are research results, not evidence that ordinary phones can charge from room light or that a plug-and-play consumer charger is widely available.
How light-based wireless charging works
In OWPT, electricity first powers a light source. The resulting optical energy travels through space to a receiver, where a photovoltaic cell or a specialized laser power converter turns part of the received light into electrical power. Unlike inductive charging, the energy crosses the gap as light rather than through a near-field magnetic coupling.
Two broad approaches appear in current research. Laser power transfer (LPT) uses a directed, concentrated beam and is studied for applications that may need more power or longer distances. LED-based OWPT is discussed as a lower-power option, including for sensors and Internet of Things devices. Those are different design goals, not interchangeable versions of one universal charger.
What is changing in OWPT
More capable receivers
A receiver’s conversion efficiency determines how much of the light reaching it becomes electricity; it does not, by itself, describe how efficiently the whole system delivers power. A 2023 Nature Communications paper reported an organic laser power converter efficiency of 36.2% under illumination at 660 nm and a photon flux of 9.5 mW cm−2. The paper also demonstrated 0.5 W of wireless micro-power transfer on a 2 m scale. These are component and demonstration results under the stated conditions, not an end-to-end consumer-charger efficiency figure.
#1 Best Overall
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Optics and multi-source arrangements
A 2025 review by Kimia Ahmadi and Wouter A. Serdijn surveys LED designs using single- or double-lens arrangements, collimation, and arrays of multiple LEDs. These optical choices shape and direct light toward a receiver. They are design approaches under study; their presence in a review does not establish that every arrangement improves range, efficiency, or cost in every application.
Beam control and distributed delivery
The same review discusses high-intensity laser beaming, distributed laser charging, adaptive distributed charging, and resonant-beam charging. Together, these approaches explore how a system might direct, adapt, or distribute optical power rather than relying on one fixed transmitter-to-receiver arrangement. Beam alignment remains a practical issue: a directed beam and its receiver must be positioned and controlled for the intended transfer.
Rank #2
- 5-in-1 USB-C Hub: Experience comprehensive connectivity featuring a Power Delivery input, two USB-A 2.0 ports, a USB-A 3.0 port, and an HDMI port. (Note: The USB-C power delivery input port is only for connecting an external wall charger to power your laptop and cannot power peripheral devices.)
- 90W Pass-Through Charging: Achieve optimal charging with 90W pass-through power to your laptop, supported by a total input of 100W, with the hub reserving 10W for operational efficiency. (Note: Wall charger not included.)
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Sending information with power
Simultaneous lightwave information and power transfer (SLIPT) is another research direction covered in the 2025 review. It aims to use light for both energy and data transfer. The review describes OWPT’s potential advantages as directionality, suitability for far-field applications, and the ability to transfer power and data simultaneously; this is a capability being studied, not proof that any particular charger offers it.
What the reported performance figures mean
OWPT percentages cannot be compared responsibly without checking what the measurement includes. A receiver-only conversion result, an optical-to-electrical result, and a full end-to-end efficiency can have different boundaries. The examples below illustrate distinct measurements and test contexts, not a ranking of competing chargers.
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Rank #3
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- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (7-in-1), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
| Source and result | What was reported | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Nature Communications paper, 2023 | 36.2% organic laser power converter efficiency at 660 nm and 9.5 mW cm−2 photon flux; 0.5 W wireless micro-power transfer on a 2 m scale. | The efficiency is for the converter under the stated illumination conditions. The 0.5 W figure describes a separate transfer demonstration; neither is an end-to-end consumer-charger efficiency. |
| DARPA POWER program account, May 2025 | More than 20% optical-to-electrical efficiency at shorter distances. The receiver used a central aperture, parabolic mirror, and photovoltaic cells. | DARPA said efficiency was not the focus of the demonstration. Its result has different measurement boundaries and conditions from the converter experiment and the system-level study. |
| Optics and Laser Technology study, 2026 | 12.4% overall end-to-end LPT efficiency at approximately 99 W delivered; 95.96% laser-driver electrical efficiency. | The 95.96% figure is the driver’s electrical efficiency, not the wireless transfer’s total efficiency. The reported 12.4% is the overall end-to-end result. |
Because the setups and boundaries differ, these figures do not establish that one approach is generally more efficient than another. In particular, a high efficiency for a receiver or driver cannot be substituted for the fraction of input electricity delivered usefully at the system level.
How to judge an OWPT system for a use case
The useful comparison is between a system’s measured performance and the job it needs to do. Before treating a research result as evidence of practical suitability, check:
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- Next-Level 10Gbps & 3A Charging: No more slow 480Mbps, this usb to usb c adapter has a transfer speed of up to 10Gbps, allowing you to do more transferring in less time. This usb adapter fits both USB A and USB C charger, supporting up to 3A fast charging
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- Please Note: To reach 10Gbps speed, keep the cable under 3.3 ft. For USB A Male to USB C adapters, try flipping the USB C connector. USB C Male to USB A adapters support bidirectional 10Gbps transfer within 3.3 ft
- Power and distance: distinguish sensor-level power needs from higher-power or longer-range goals, and look for both delivered power and the distance at which it was measured.
- Efficiency boundary: establish whether a percentage covers only the converter or driver, or the full chain from electrical input through source, optics, propagation, receiver, and auxiliary systems.
- Receiver and alignment: determine what kind of receiver is required and whether the beam must be pointed, tracked, or kept aligned.
- Safety and deployment: evaluate safeguards for the actual light source and system. The label “wireless” alone does not establish that a setup is safe to use.
- Application fit: the 2025 review discusses LED OWPT in connection with low-power IoT and laser transfer in longer-range scenarios such as drones. These are research suitability areas, not evidence of broad commercial deployment.
What remains unresolved
Beam alignment, safety protocols, hybrid systems, and scalability are among the issues the 2025 review identifies for further work. A successful laboratory transfer or power-beaming demonstration does not, on its own, show that a system can operate conveniently and reliably across ordinary rooms, serve a range of consumer devices, or meet the requirements of a commercial product. The available examples also do not supply a standardized, like-for-like comparison across OWPT systems.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- 5-in-1 Connectivity: Equipped with a 4K HDMI port, a 5 Gbps USB-C data port, two 5 Gbps USB-A ports, and a USB C 100W PD-IN port. Note: The USB C 100W PD-IN port supports only charging and does not support data transfer devices such as headphones or speakers.
- Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
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