Pushing the Boundaries of Photovoltaic Light to Electricity Conversion with III-V Based Photonic Power Converters

Optical power transmission (also called power-by-light) enables transmission of electrical power without the need for electron transport through a copper cable. Instead a laser (or other narrow band light source) is used to convert electrical power into light, which is then transmitted through free space (optical wireless power transmission) or using an optical fiber (power-over-fiber) to a receiver unit. At the receiver, the light impinges onto a so-called photonic power converter, i.e. a special photovoltaic cell optimized for narrow band light conversion, that converts it back into electrical power. In 2021, we demonstrated a photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 68.9% for monochromatic light at a wavelength of 858 nm [1], which is the highest photovoltaic power conversion efficiency achieved in the world. The presentation will give an overview about power-by-light technology, its building blocks, and latest achievements at Fraunhofer ISE in the development of photonic power converters.