OPTICAL FIBER COMMUNICATIONS 1

The course firstly gives students a basic overview of how optical communications blend into telecommunication systems. Then it describes details on the physical structures, constituent materials, attenuation behavior, light wave propagation mechanisms, and signal dispersion characteristics of the wide variety of optical fibers that exist. Thirdly, the course addresses the principles of optical sources and how couple two fibers to ensure a low optical power loss at the joints. Subsequently, the structures and responses of photodetectors as well as the principles of lightwave receivers are covered. Finally, digital transmission and its associated parameters on system performance are discussed. Topics are covered: Overview of Optical Fiber Communications; Optical Fibers: Structures, Waveguilding and Fabrication; Attenuation and Dispersion; Optical Sources; Power Launching and Coupling; Photodetectors; Optical Receiver Operation; Digital Links.