JDSU, a Milpitas, Calif., provider of communications test and measurement and optical products, said its 3- and 5-volt gallium arsenide photovoltaic power converter has achieved optical-to-electrical conversion efficiency of more than 50 percent, which it claims is a record in the conversion efficiency of laser light into electrical power. JDSU said the accomplishment, by its Photonic Power business unit, enables fiber optics to replace copper for power delivery in which isolation from the surrounding environment is essential. Photonic power is especially beneficial for electronic devices operating in high-voltage, radio frequency/electromagnetic interference and magnetic fields for which traditional copper options are more complex or are impractical, it said. "An efficiency of 50 percent pushes the boundaries of the maximum theoretical limit for photovoltaic power conversion," JDSU said in a statement. "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." It said other applications include underground exploration and medical technology, such as magnetic resonance imaging, in which the isolated power enables the operation of devices inside strong magnetic fields. For more information, visit: www.jdsu.com