EE 5551
Fiber Optic Communications
Fall 2008, Sun Tue Thr 1:00-2:00 pm
EE343
Instructor: Yazan A Alqudah
Office Location EE446
Phone: Ext 339332
EE 5551
• An introductory Course to Fiber Optic
Communications
• Gain general knowledge about the technology
• Why fiber optics
• What the pieces are
• Have essential understanding about components
important to optical networking
• Characteristics
• Working principle
• Prepare for further in depth exploration and
design
EE 5551
Course Goal:
• Familiar with basic concepts (carrier frequency, bandwidth,
bit rate-distance, etc) and terminologies (DWDM, EDFA, etc)
used in fiber optic communications technology
• Develop a general understanding of basic analog and digital
signal sampling, transmission and receiving in
communications
• Understanding the origin of loss and causes of various
dispersion in optical fibers
• Understanding basic dielectric waveguides theory
• Develop an essential understanding of operation principles
of fiber optic components( light sources, light detectors,
light amplifier, modulators, and filters, etc)
• Familiarity with the trend and design consideration of fiber
optic networks
Prerequisite
• Basic geometric optics, reflection, refraction
and interference
• Continuous-time linear systems
• Solid state devices: principle of semiconductor
p-n junctions, forward and inverse bias and
light emitting process
Resources
Text Book
• Optical Fiber Communications, Gerd Keiser, 3th
edition. McGraw-Hill
Recommended References
• Fiber-Optic Communications Systems, Govind P.
Agrawal, 2nd ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
• Fiber Optic Communications, Joseph C. Palais, 5th
ed., Pearson Prentice Hall.
• Optics, Eugene Hecht, 3rd ed., Addision-Wesley
1998
Course Contents
• Introduction to fiber optics
• Light propagation in optical waveguide
• Critical components in optic fiber
communications
• Fiber optic networks
Part I: Introduction to Fiber Optic
Communications
• Objectives:
– Describe in general the evolution of optical networks
– Describe the operating principles of fiber optic systems; identify
the capabilities and limitations
– Get to know the system components such as laser, detectors,
amplifiers, multiplexers, demultiplexers, and describe how they
are used
– Familiar with bandwidth, bit rate, fiber loss, and understanding
sampling
Contents covered
– Development of fiber optics
– Bandwidth and data transmission speed
– Review basic geometrical optics
Part II: Light propagation in optical
waveguides
• Learning objectives:
– Describe various types of optical fibers
– Explain fiber dispersion, attenuation and other properties
– Explain the key features of optical fiber, which make them
suited for long distance high speed communications
– Explain how physical effects inside optical fiber can limit
communications speeds and distances
• Contents to be covered
–
–
–
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Analysis of light propagation in optical fiber
Fiber applications and types
Fiber attenuation, dispersion and nonlinear effects
Optic fiber manufacturing
Part IIIa. Critical Components:
Transmitters and Receivers
• Learning objectives
– Discuss light sources for fiber optic systems
– Explain fiber optic transmitters
– Explain fiber optic receivers and receiver
sensitivity
• Contents to cover
– Light sources: LEDs and lasers
– Transmitters
– Receivers and detectors
Part IIIb. Critical Components: Passive
Components
• Learning objectives
–
–
–
–
–
Describe couplers and how they work
Discuss planar waveguides
Explain wavelength division multiplexers
Describe optical isolators
Explain dispersion compensators
• Contents to cover
–
–
–
–
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Couplers and taps
Planar waveguides
Attenuators and filters
Wavelength-division multiplexers
Other passive components
Part IIIc. Critical Components: Active
Components
• Learning objectives:
– Understand operation principle of various active
components: Modulators, switches, wavelength
converters
– Understand function and impact of fiber amplifiers
• Contents
–
–
–
–
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Repeaters and regenerators
Modulators
Optical switches
Wavelength converters
Optical amplifiers
Fiber Optic Network
• Learning objectives
– Explain how optical networks are evolving towards
higher information rates, functionality, switch
connectivity, metropolitan and local areas
• Contents to cover
– Multiplexing technique, wavelength and time
division
– Fiber optic network architecture
– Current trends in fiber optic networks
Grading Policy
Homework, Quizzes ( in class, announced
and unannounced), and attendance
10%
Two in-class midterm exams
50% (25% each)
Final exam
40%