Japan Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) and Hokkaido National University organized by Kitami Institute of Technology researchers, recently succeeded in creating a single fibre-optic cable through the 14-kilometer long-distance power supply record. Previously, only up to two kilometers of power supply distance could be achieved due to the limitation of light intensity inside the optical fiber.
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The researchers managed to provide more than 1 watt of power over a distance of 14 kilometers, in addition to high-speed data exchange. The achievement opens up new avenues for disaster relief and power delivery in remote areas without the need to build complex power infrastructure.
According to IT House, this feat utilizes NTT’s multi-core fiber (MCF), a technology that maintains compatibility with existing fiber optic infrastructures through its standard 125-micron diameter glass. But because it is multi-core (meaning there are multiple individual fibers in the standard glass), each core can be used for different purposes. To maximize power efficiency, it may be necessary to use multiple cores for power.
The scientists injected a light source with a wavelength of 1,550 nm into all four fiber cores, and two of the cores were injected with another light source with a wavelength of about 1,310 nm for data transmission, at which both downlink and uplink data (with a transmission speed of 10 Gbps) could be piggybacked. Ultimately, the researchers succeeded in transmitting about 1 W of power over a distance of 14 kilometers, setting a world record of 14 W/km for an optically powered system.
While many advances have been made in photonics technology over the past few years, this particular study enables long-distance energy transfer as well as wired communications. This is a very simple and cost-effective solution for low-power remote power supply, which will certainly have applications in the future.
