Extended Reach Power-by-Light

Power is typically transmitted as electricity in copper wires. This works well in many cases, but there’s a major drawback: electromagnetic interference can disrupt the power supply, which is detrimental for sensitive electronic devices. Another approach is to transmit power as light, which is immune to this interference. A laser converts electricity to light, which travels through an optical fiber. At the fiber output, the light is converted back to electricity using a photonic power converter (PPC).

The most efficient PPCs work with a wavelength of light (850 nm) that loses approximately 40% of its power for every kilometer of transmission in optical fiber. Different wavelengths of light can travel further in fiber, but they aren’t compatible with established PPC technology. This project aims to develop next-generation PPCs using materials that are optimized for a different wavelength of light (1550 nm) to extend the reach of power-by-light systems. We will measure next-generation PPCs to demonstrate their performance and implement design changes to enhance PPC efficiency.

Faculty Supervisor:

Karin Hinzer

Student:

Partner:

Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Ottawa

Program: