Book Review - Optical Fiber Transmission

Book Title : Optical Fiber Transmission

Compiled and Edited by E E Basch

ISBN 0-672-22301-5

1.            This book is altogether a collection of 16 papers written by different experts on the topics related to the Optical Fiber Transmission. The content of all the chapters presented in this book is intended to provide the fundamental and practical engineering principles of Optical Fiber Communication Principles to its reader in a plain and simple language.

2.            In chapter I “Introduction to Fiber Optics”, the reader has been provided with the important key milestone including past and the future of the optical fiber as transmission medium.

3.            In chapter II “Properties of Optical Fibers”, the author J C Daly and S Lakshmanasamy discusses the general properties of Optical fiber including the bandwidth, dispersion mechanism and attenuation properties. The author has nicely brought out the model classification and properties of Multimode, Single Mode, Dispersion Shifted and Single Polarization Fibers. Attenuation properties like material absorption, linear and non linear scattering, waveguide attenuation, leaky modes and effects of ionisation radiation are also covered in an efficient manner.

4.            In chapter III “Single- Mode Wave Propagation in Cylindrical Optical Fibers”, the author D Davidson provides a clear-cut concise picture of Model- Field behavior of the important single propagation mode that takes full advantage of the extremely low intrinsic losses found in today’s best fibers. Particular emphasis has been given by the author to the various methods that have been employed to find solutions for the fibers with rather arbitrary refractive index profiles, as might be encountered in practical fibers.

5.            In chapter IV “Fiber Design Considerations for Optical Telecommunications”, the author Arnab Sarkar has clearly outlined the evolution of fiber designs for the onset of the technology in early seventies followed by the Chemical Vapor Deposition Processes used to manufacture high quality optical fibers. The paper also gives knowledge about the material and structural consideration for glass fiber including polymeric coatings used to preserve the Optical/ Mechanical characteristics of the fiber and design considerations of Multimode and Single Mode Fibers, currently being used in telecommunication systems worldwide. The author has also covered the emerging fiber designs that are expected to be used in the industry in the future.

6.            In chapter V “Fiber Optic Cables: Design, Performance Characteristics and Field Experience Considerations” written by P Bark and D Lawrence, clearly brings out the key factors including fundamental properties and behavior, that must be known, when designing an optical fiber, to meet exact requirement and conditions of specific applications of telephony, computer utility, government and military applications. Various issues like Optical Cable Testing Techniques, Cable Placement Techniques, Splicing and Connection Techniques have been nicely addressed by taking examples from some transmission system subsystem performance information.

7.            In chapter VI “Optical Fiber Measurement”, the author M L Dakss made an appreciable attempt to cover recently developed techniques for optical measurement on fibers, separately for single mode and multimode fibers. However various issues like measurement of geometrical properties of fibers, refractive index profile measurement , mechanical, birefringence and polarization properties of single mode fibers is not covered in details for better understanding.

8.            In Chapter VII “Non Linear Optical Phenomena in Single Mode Fibers”, the author H Winful has brought out the Non Linear Optical Phenomena in Single Mode Fibers by reviewing the underlying physics and point out the key experiments done in 1.0 to 1.6 micrometers spectral region by considering the Raman and Brillouin Scattering Phenomenon. The paper also gives an exposure of dependence of fiber’s refractive index on light intensity, including Self Phase Modulation, Soliton Propagation and Intensity Dependence Polarisation Charges and various parametric processes.

9.            In Chapter VIII “Passive Optical Components”, the author J Straus and B Kawasaki made a great attempt to cover recent advances in the various categories of passive fiber optic components from the point of view of structure, performance, packaging and applications. More recent areas being stressed are the use of single mode components as interference base devices and in components which are constructed of specially processed optical fiber.

10.          In chapter IX “Optical Sources for Light Wave System Applications”, the author N K Dutta has briefly covered the principle of operation, fabrication and performance characteristics of different types of semiconductor lasers. The author has given due emphasis on laser fabricated using the InGaAsP material system and operating in the wavelength ranges of 1.3 to 1.55 micrometers. The concept of Simulated Emission, calculation of Optical Gain, Radiative/ Non Radiative Recombination rates, fabrication and performance characteristics of Single Frequency Lasers and various Real Guided Lasers Structures have been covered for the easy understanding of the reader. The degradation mechanism of Semiconductor Lasers covered by the author gives an eye- opening requirement of development of suitable reliability assurance strategy of application such as Submarine Optical Fiber Cable, which is also discussed by the author in this paper.

11.          In chapter X “Modulation of Optical Sources”, various methods of imposing information on Optical Sources for use in Communication System including Modulation Techniques has been elaborated nicely by the author S M Stone. The author has also brought out various factors which limit the information bandwidth in Directly Modulated semiconductor Lasers and LEDs, supported with the results of various research and development to optimize their performance along with the examples of devices which has been developed to optimize their characteristics.

12.          In chapter XI “Detectors for Optical Waveguide Communications”, the author G E Stillman has nicely covered the various fundamentals of Semiconductor Photon Detectors and also explained how these fundamentals limit the sensitivity of Photon Detectors. The structure and limitations of the performance of Photon Detectors including Photoconductive Detectors or Avalanche Photo Diode were also covered for the better understanding of the reader.

13.          In chapter XII “Receiver Design of Optical Fiber System” written by T V Muoi, the basis of Optical Receiver design has been presented in a unified theory, where in noise modeling and sensitivity analysis of high impedance and trans impedance receiver amplifiers are combined into one single theory. The effect of receiver requirement like wide dynamic range, bit pattern independency, bit rate transparency; fast acquisition time on receiver design has also been covered in a befitting manner by the author.

14.          In chapter XIII “Communication Theory for Fiber Optic Transmission System”, the author J W Ketshum has covered various aspects of designing, efficient and reliable communication, so as to overcome the fundamentally random nature of the communication process as well as many non ideal aspects of any practical medium. The contents of the paper which includes general model for both signal and noise and various methods of analog and digital communications has been covered in such   a simple language the it can be understood even by the reader, who is unfamiliar with these concepts.

15.          In chapter XIV “Digital Optical System Design”, the author H Carnes, R Kearns and E Basch has explained how individual components of Optical Communication System interacts and how their characteristics determine the design and performance of a complete Optical Fiber Link including special emphasis being given on synchronous digital point to point transmission link.

16.          In chapter XV “Design of Multichannel Analog Fiber- Optic Transmission System”, the author M F Mesiya has covered various techniques for transmitting a number of analog signals over optical fibers. The degradation of system performance due to intrinsic noise, linearity and bandwidth characteristics of the system components are also analysed in an appropriate manner for the better understanding of the reader.

17.          In chapter XVI “Introduction to Coherent Fiber Optic Communication”, the author E Basch and T Brown has brought out the basic principles of Coherent Fiber Optical Communication System by connections, wherever possible, with standard techniques in RF and Microwave Communication for better understanding of the reader. Also an appreciable effort has been made to acquaint the reader with concepts in quantum optics which is currently being researched in connection with coherent optical communication.

Reviewed by one of my students S K Khare