Fiber optics: From communications to “Nervous” systems

Abstract

In these days, we see the dynamic development of the traditional field of fiber optics—fiber-optic communications—that strongly impacts the knowledge-based economy and the solution of social problems. In this article, I would like to give a brief account of the situation in fiber-optic communications, using transoceanic systems as an example, and to predict their evolution until 2025. Then I will switch to another important area of fiber optics—the fiber laser—and, finally, I will speak about a new fast-developing fiber optics technology—fiber-optic distributed sensor systems, which are sometimes called “nervous” systems.