Application scenarios for simultaneous optical power and data transfer

Optical power transfer and optical data communication are versatile technologies with numerous applications, utilizing both fiber-coupled systems and free-space optical links. The integration of these technologies into a single link simplifies system design while combining the benefits of simultaneous power delivery and data communication for receiving systems. This study evaluates various applications by examining their power demands, data rate requirements, and external factors such as link medium and operational distance. A graphical representation is provided to facilitate application targeting for specific groups, dictating the needed system requirements. Three key application clusters are identified: A) Internet of Things connectivity (free-space, ~10 m, 0.2-10 W), B) network infrastructure (fiber/free-space/underwater, 10 m - 1 km, 10-100 W), and C) moving objects (free-space, 100 m - 500 km, 1-10 kW).