Optically powered fiber networks

Optically powered networks are demonstrated. Heterogeneous subscribers having widely varying needs with respect to power and bandwidth can be effectively controlled and optically supplied by a central office. The success of the scheme relies both on power-efficient innovative hardware and on a novel low-energy medium access control protocol. We demonstrate a sensor network with subscribers consuming less than 1 mu W average power, and an optically powered high-speed video link transmitting data at a bitrate of 100 Mbit/s. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America