New laser power converters can transmit power to further, remote destinations

From smart grids to the internet of things, the modern world is increasingly reliant on connectivity between electronic devices. Thanks to University of Ottawa researchers, these devices can now be simultaneously connected and powered with a simple optical fiber over long distances, even in the harshest environments.

This significant step forward in the development of photonic power converters—devices that turn laser light into electrical power—could integrate laser-driven, remote power solutions into existing fiber optic infrastructure. This, in turn, could pave the way for improved connectivity and more reliable communication in remote locations and extreme situations.

“In traditional power over fiber systems, most of the laser light is lost,” explains Professor Karin Hinzer of the University of Ottawa’s SUNLAB, which collaborated with Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems on the study. “With these new devices, the fiber can be much longer.”

To address this, SUNLAB researchers developed a simulation model for multi-junction photonic power converters operating at infrared wavelengths used for telecommunications, which have low attenuation losses per kilometer in fiber. “The fabricated device shows a dramatic improvement in power and data transmission over distances longer than a kilometer, where traditional systems are not viable,” adds Gavin Forcade, first author of the paper published in Cell Reports Physical Science.

Integrating power and fiber sensors

The term “multi-junction” means the devices are constructed by stacking many semiconductor junctions that absorb light, which results in more of the total laser light being converted to electric power, enabling higher efficiencies and voltages to be reached. Using this model, the teams were able to design and fabricate a photonic power converter producing over 2 volts at its maximum power point with an efficiency of more than 53%.

Adopting photonic power converters at telecom wavelengths could lead to more reliable telecommunication networks, reduce costs by enhancing systems performance and create faster more robust networks that could benefit many technologies, such as:

• Smart grid monitoring technologies
• Lightning-proof wind turbine blade monitoring sensors
• Spark-free fuel gauges in airplanes
• Distributed sensors for the Internet of Things (IoT)
• Remote video camera links
• Underwater sensors
• Laser power in free space, which enables future applications like simultaneously powering and communicating with drones, satellites and lunar vehicles.

“This could improve power to high voltage and monitoring sensors for smart grids without the risk of lightning faults, it could reduce sparking risks in hazardous environments and could potentially transmit power and data simultaneously to remote devices on existing fiber optic infrastructure,” added Hinzer, the University Research Chair in Photonic Devices for Energy.