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Optical Communication: History & Introduction

The document discusses the history and evolution of optical communication networks. It describes how early networks in the 1970s had low bit rate-distance products until the invention of the laser in 1960 solved the problem of transmitting light. Research in the late 1960s suggested optical fibers could guide light similar to copper wires, but fibers then had extremely high losses. Breakthroughs in the 1970s reduced fiber losses and led to the development of fiber optic communication systems. The document then outlines the evolution through four generations of lightwave systems from the 1970s to 1980s, as fibers and lasers improved to increase bandwidth and transmission distances through developments like wavelength division multiplexing and erbium-doped fiber amplifiers.

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Sreedevi Balan
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82 views14 pages

Optical Communication: History & Introduction

The document discusses the history and evolution of optical communication networks. It describes how early networks in the 1970s had low bit rate-distance products until the invention of the laser in 1960 solved the problem of transmitting light. Research in the late 1960s suggested optical fibers could guide light similar to copper wires, but fibers then had extremely high losses. Breakthroughs in the 1970s reduced fiber losses and led to the development of fiber optic communication systems. The document then outlines the evolution through four generations of lightwave systems from the 1970s to 1980s, as fibers and lasers improved to increase bandwidth and transmission distances through developments like wavelength division multiplexing and erbium-doped fiber amplifiers.

Uploaded by

Sreedevi Balan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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OPTICAL

COMMUNICATION
History & Introduction

WHY OPTICAL COMMUNICATION?

Figure of merit of communication s/m defined in terms of bit ratedistance product(BL).

CONTD.

By 1970, communication s/m with BL 100Mb/s-km was available.

By second half of twentieth century it was realized that increase in


BL product would be possible if optical waves were used as carrier.

In 1960, the invention of laser solved the problem. Then how to


transmit light?(Theodore Harold Maiman)

In1966, a suggestion came that optical fibers(OF) might be best


choice to guide light similar to that of electrons in copper wire. Main
draw back was high loss of fiber(1000dB/km).

CONTD.

In 1970 a break through occurred; fiber losses were reduced to


below 20dB/km near 1m wavelength region.

At the same time GaAs semiconductor lasers also were


demonstrated.

The availability of low loss OF and compact optical sources led to


world wide effort for developing FOC s/m.

Now optical fiber is the backbone of modern communication


network.

CONTD

Optical fiber carries


Almost all long distance phone calls
Most Internet traffic (Dial-up, DSL or Cable)
Most Television channels (Cable or DSL)

One fiber can carry up to 6.4 Tb/s (1012 b/s) or 100 million
conversations simultaneously

Information revolution wouldnt have happened without the Optical


Fiber

EVOLUTION OF LIGHTWAVE SYSTEMS

First Generation Lightwave Systems


Operated near 0.08m region
GaAs lasers used
Bit rate of 45Mb/s
Repeater spacing of upto 10km.

Limitations:
Fiber attenuation
Intermodal dispersion

Deployed since 1974

CONTD.

Second Generation Systems


Operated near 1.3m region(loss below 1dB/km).
1.3 m multi-mode semiconductor lasers
Single-mode, low-attenuation silica fibers

Limitations
Bit rate limited below 100Mb/s due to multimode fiber dispersion.
Repeater spacing limited by fiber losses in 1.3m.

Deployed since 1978

CONTD.

Third generation system


1.55 m single-mode semiconductor lasers
Single-mode, low-attenuation silica fibers

Limitations:
Fiber attenuation (repeater spacing 40 km)
Fiber dispersion

Deployed since 1982

CONTD.

Fourth generation s/m


1.55 m single-mode, narrow-band semiconductor lasers(low
fiber loss, but high dispersion)
Single-mode, low-attenuation, dispersion-shifted silica fibers
Wavelength-division multiplexing of 2.5 Gb/s or 10 Gb/s signals
Development of EDFA

Limitations
Non-linear effects limits
Signal launch power
Propagation distance without regeneration
WDM channel separation
Maximum number of WDM channels per fiber

EVOLUTION OF OPTICAL NETWORKS

Lowest Attenuation C band 1550 nm, the most used

Guided Light
John Tyndall demonstrated in 1870 that
Light can be bent
This can be considered the first demo of
Guided light propagation

Total Internal Reflection (TIR) is the basic idea of fiber optic

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