Photovoltaic power converters transform optical power into electrical power, which is inherently immune to RF, EMI, high voltage, and lightning effects. Capable of powering electronic circuitry directly over optical fiber in a wide variety of applications, this technology has been validated in industries such as electric power, communications, remote sensing and aerospace. From no more than a laboratory curiosity less than fifteen years ago, power-over-fiber, or photonic power, has established itself in thousands of industrial operations worldwide. Optical energy for pre-amplifiers or low-power transmitters as well as switches and relays can be efficiently delivered through noise immune and non-conductive optical fiber. These advantages are also readily available for safe and arm applications since optical fiber is immune to electrical noise, magnetic fields and conduction of unexpected electrical currents. Since it is made from glass, a dielectric fiber is impervious to electromagnetic interference. High optical power is readily delivered through fiber, and conversion of optical to electrical energy at the remote site with efficient photovoltaic converters is routine.
In this work, we report a highly efficient Photovoltaic Power Converter (PPC) suitable for 920 nm to 970 nm InGaAs MQW lasers for the first time. The epitaxial layers were grown by low pressure MOCVD on the semi-insulting GaAs substrate. The epi layers consist of a p-n junction of In0.12Ga0.88As and the window layer of p+ AlInGaAs. The device is made of seven or eight pie-segments of equal area series-connected by means of air-bridges. Under 500mW of 940nm laser illumination, the open-circuit voltage of the eight-segment InGaAs chip is 6.7V. The short-circuit current is 29.7mA. Its maximum delivered electrical power is 171.2mW, equal to a 34.2% overall power conversion efficiency. We also demonstrate the high temperature characteristic and stability of the device.
We establish an empirical model to project the highest power output from a photovoltaic power converter (PPC). This model helped us achieve over one watt electrical output power from a single fiber channel. A total of 1.2W electrical power output from two parallel connected 8-segment devices was obtained from a well heat-sunk package with 4W laser illumination from a single fiber. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that, over one watt electrical power has been delivered by a single fiber channel. Over 30% power conversion efficiency was maintained in this high power conversion process, whereas the power conversion efficiency was over 40% at low laser input power. This high electrical power output enables more applications in sensing, safing, or arming that could not be achieved before due to less available power. It also further strengthens the position of this unique solution of providing isolated power in harsh, noisy and high-voltage environments.
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