Powering over single mode fiber by shortening working time of IoT device

Abstract

Fiber optics has revolutionized telecommunication with its superior bandwidth and distance it can span. For its use in IoT networks, some of the limiting factors are the high cost of new installations and the need to power the end device by electrical current. The installations are a part of long-term investments, and one can expect this to be an ever-smaller issue as more fibers are installed. Typically, the newly installed cables contain single-mode fibers. There are a lot of reports on transport of power over fiber, however, majority recommend using multi-mode fibers with a large core or double-clad fibers. In our approach, instead of increasing the core of the fiber, we focus on the possibility of shortening the working time of IoT devices, using the existing single-mode fiber for powering. Also, instead of an expensive PV (photo voltaic) cell with small dimensions and a high efficiency, we propose using the commercially available larger PV cells with an air gap between the end of the fiber and the cells. In accordance with our approach, we successfully conducted an experiment.