Infrastructure | Data + power down an optical cable
February 7th, 2012 by rbanks
Hybrid fiber optic cable carries data and power
"Invented by Sandia’s Titus Appel and Steve Sanderson, PoF is currently limited to a fairly low capacity, so don’t expect it to be delivering power to your house any time soon. It could, however, supply power to small electrical devices such as sensors, for which it would also be providing data transfer. In the cable’s present incarnation, optical power goes through a single glass fiber. A laser diode at one end of that fiber emits light, while a miniaturized photovoltaic cell at the other end converts it into electricity. Power is only delivered on demand, in order to save energy." 
via Gizmag
