Linear and Nonlinear Propagation Effects in Optical Fibers

Abstract

The development of low loss optical fibers, compact and efficient semiconductor lasers operating at room temperature, optical detectors and optical amplifiers have truly revolutionized the field of telecommunication and have provided us with a communication system capable of carrying enormous amount of information over intercontinental distances. When information carrying light pulses propagate through an optical fiber, they suffer from attenuation, temporal broadening and they even interact with each other through nonlinear effects in the fiber. These effects which tend to distort the signals need to be overcome to achieve high speed communication over long distances. In this chapter, we will give a brief outline of the various linear and nonlinear propagation effects in optical fibers and their impact on optical fiber communication systems. Important components such as optical fiber amplifiers and dispersion compensators, which are playing a very important role in the fiber optic revolution, will also be discussed.