Significant Milestone Reached in Photonic Power Delivery Enabling Optical Fiber to Replace Copper
MILPITAS, CALIFORNIA, May 4, 2006 –JDSU, the leading enabler of broadband and optical innovation, announced today that its Photonic Power Business Unit has achieved a world record in the conversion efficiency of laser light into electrical power. JDSU’s 3 volt and 5 volt gallium arsenide (GaAs) Photovoltaic Power Converter (PPC) has achieved optical-to-electrical conversion efficiency greater than 50%. This breakthrough further enables the use of fiber optics to replace copper for power delivery where isolation from the surrounding environment is essential. Photonic Power is especially beneficial for cost-effectively driving electronicdevices operating in high-voltage, RF/EMI and magnetic fields where traditional copper options are more complex or impractical.
An efficiency of 50% pushes the boundaries of the maximum theoretical limit for photovoltaic power conversion. This improvement enables more power-hungry electronics such as transducers, transceivers and sensors to be powered over fiber. The higher power efficiency also permits remote electronics to be powered by fiber over longer distances such as tower-mounted installations for cellular and digital TV relay stations. Other applications are numerous including underground exploration and medical applications where the isolated power allows the operation of devices inside strong magnetic fields such as MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging).
“With this breakthrough conversion efficiency, JDSU is better positioned to deliver solutions to the medical, industrial sensor, and wireless communications industries,” said David Gudmundson, vice president of corporate development for JDSU. “We believe that the delivery of power over fiber can provide strategic and competitive advantages to a variety of applications that require isolated power and are looking for copper wire alternatives.”
Currently, more than 10,000 units of the Photonic Power Converter have been deployed, serving more than 50 customers worldwide, serving a wide variety of market segments.
About JDSU
JDSU (NASDAQ: JDSU; and TSX: JDU) is committed to enabling broadband & optical innovation in the communications, commercial and consumer markets. JDSU is the leading provider of communications test and measurement solutions and optical products for telecommunications service providers, cable operators, and network equipment manufacturers. Furthermore, JDSU is the leading provider of innovative optical solutions for medical/environmental instrumentation, semiconductor processing, display, brand authentication, aerospace and defense, and decorative applications.
More information is available at www.jdsu.com.
The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, any statement or implication that the products described in this press release (i) will be successfully introduced or marketed, (ii) will be qualified and purchased by our customers, or (iii) will perform to any particular specifications or performance or reliability standards. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that, if realized, could materially impair the Company's results of operations, business, and financial condition. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, (a) the failure of the products (i) to perform as expected without material defects, (ii) to be manufactured at acceptable volumes, yields, and cost, (iii) to be qualified and accepted by our customers, and (iv) to successfully compete with products offered by our competitors, and (b) factors discussed from time to time in reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof, and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or qualify any of the statements made herein. Source: JDS Uniphase Corporation.
Contact Information
Investors: Jacquie Ross, 408-546-4445, investor.relations@jdsu.com
Press: Kathleen Greene, 408-546-5852, kathleen.greene@jdsu.com