Experimental demonstration of power over fiber for optical communication system

Abstract

Power-over-fiber (PoF) is a novel power transmission technology that uses optical fibers, instead of the traditional copper wires, to deliver electrical power to feed remote sensors or electrical devices. Research on the PoF systems has been receiving extensive attention due to the advantages of fiber optic systems compared to the conventional power supply systems. Optical fibers are less bulky and lightweight, robust to electromagnetic interference (EMI) and electric sparks, resistant to corrosion and to extreme weather. Optical fiber installation is less susceptible to explosive and hazardous environments and presents a minimal security risk. Moreover, a single optical fiber can simultaneously transmit highspeed data and deliver electrical power to remote places. This paper experimentally demonstrates a PoF system using offthe-shelf components to feed microelectronics for low-power applications. The optical system consists of a 1550nm Pigtailed Laser Diode, an InGaAs photodetector for the optical to electrical conversion, and both Single-Mode (SM) and Multi-Mode (MM) optical fibers are tested. Experimental results show that data signal and power signal can be successfully transmitted simultaneously using an optical communication link. Analysis of the electrical-to-optical (E/O) conversion efficiency of the laser source, optical-to-optical (O/O) efficiency of the optical fibers, and optical-to-electrical (O/E) conversion efficiency of the receiver are also presented. Moreover, the System Energy Efficiency (SEE) is studied, and the effects of signal data-rate on the SEE are investigated.