Advances in communication through light fibers

Light guiding properties of circular (uniform or nonuniform) optical fibers, excitation of desired optical signals, mode coupling among fibers, mode conversion due to perturbations, dispersion limiting of optical fiber information capacity, optical fiber imperfections (bending, deformation of core-cladding interface, tapers, scattering centers, steps, random wall defects, ellipticity (out-of-round)), and losses in glass fibers are discussed, along with fabrication and connecting or splicing of fibers, suitable light inputs (LED, GaAlAs laser, Nd-YAG laser), modulators, detectors, and fiber time and space multiplexing. A special section deals with integrated optical circuits (IOC), and covers: basic IOC structure, source-to-fiber couplers, IOC materials, fabrication techniques, electro-optic and acousto-optic materials, and periodic structures.