Lecture 3

• WDM concept
• Major Elements of Optical Fiber
Communication link

G. Keiser, Optical Fiber Communication. (Mc Graw Hill, 2000).

WDM Concept
Conceptual SONET/SDH transport Networks
Major Elements of Optical Fiber Communication link
Optical Fiber Communication System (OFCS)

Elements of OFCS
– Sources (Optical Transmitters)
– Transmission Medium (Optical Fiber)
– Detectors (Optical Receivers)
– Amplifiers

EO OE

Figure.2. Basic elements of OFCS

Sources
• Modulates Electrical signal to Optical Signal (Mostly at 850nm,
1300nm and 1550 nm)
– LED (Light Emitting Diode)
– LASER(Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation)
– LED is economical
– LASER gives high intensity and low spectral width light. Suitable for
wavelength division multiplexing.

Figure.3. Optical Sources

Optical Receiver (Detectors)
• Demodulate optical signal into electrical signal
• Semiconductor devices
– P-i-N
– APD (Avalanche Photo Detector)

Figure.4. Photodetectors
Optical Amplifiers
• Semiconductor Optical amplifiers (soa)
– Fabry-Perot Amplifier
– Travelling Wave Amplifier

• Fiber amplifiers
– Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifier (EDFA)
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bhagyalaxmibehera@soa.ac.in