Optical fibre communication systems have revolutionised our global telecommunications network. With their very high data rates and capacity, optical fibre systems link continents, countries, cities and end users. They have enabled the internet and changed our society.

This course builds on work presented in earlier years of the program in order to enable you to develop a fuller understanding and appreciation of the factors which affect the design, operation and performance of optical fibre communication systems.

Optical fibre systems and networks include long distance backbone or trunk networks, metropolitan and access networks, passive optical networks and RF photonic systems. Fibre networks are also used to distribute signals for broadband wireless access networks.

The design of an optical fibre system involves many design factors and trade-offs. The characteristics and limitations of system components (laser diodes, optical modulators, optical fibre, optical amplifiers and optical receivers) and the factors affecting the performance of different optical fibre communication systems will be studied.

Particular topics to be studied will include: