Photonic Crystal Fiber as Filtering Concentrators for Hybrid Solar Energy Systems; and for the Simultaneous Transmission of Power and Information in Future Distribution Networks

The use of optical fiber as a solar energy concentrating filter has been shown to permit higher levels of concentration in photovoltaic systems while providing exceptional efficiency in transferring the unconverted energy into a solar thermal system. The advent of photonic crystal fiber permits exciting new results in this field, including the possibility of the simultaneous transmission of power and information over distribution networks of the future.