75477 - Optical Fiber Systems M

Learning outcomes

Knowlegde of the operation of the building blocks of optical communication systems, aimed to their basic design in different realistic scenarios.

Course contents

Module 1: “Generation, Transmission and Processing of Optical Signals”

Optical fiber: main characteristics

• Modal Propagation in the dielectric slab. TE and TM modes
• Modal propagation in dielectric waveguides. Optical fiber.
• Single-mode and Multi-mode Optical Fibers; Plastic Optical Fibers
• Phase and group velocity. Transmission impairments. Attenuation, Dispersion, Nonlinear effects

Optical Transmitters and Receivers

• LEDs, LASERs and Optical Transmitters
• PINs, APDs and main types of Direct Detection Receivers.
• Receivers for Coherent Systems

Active and Passive Optical Components and Devices for Telecommunications and Sensors

• Scattering and Transmission Matrix concepts.
• Fabry-Perot cavity, Optical filters, Diffraction Gratings. Fiber Bragg Gratings.
• Optical Multiplexers and Demultiplexers, Add and Drop filters
• Directional Couplers, Splitters, Circulators
• Optical Amplifiers, Cross-gain Modulation and Wavelength Conversion
• Mach Zehnder and Electro-Absorption Optical Modulators

Module 2: “Outdoor and In-Building Optical Systems”

Optical Transmission Systems for Metro Area Networks and for the Access Network

• Fundamental concepts, figures of merit and design parameters.
  
• Fiber to the Node/Curb/Building/Home (FTTx) solutions.
  
• Point to Point, Point to Multipoint and Hybrid schemes.
  
• Examples of FTTH systems design in real environments, including existing infrastructure exploitation, and cost evaluations

Optical Transmission Systems for the Transport Network

• Fundamental concepts on digital optical links, figures of merit and design parameters.
  
• OOK Systems, DQPSK Systems, Coherent Systems
  
• Optical transmission systems for In-Building Scenarios

Fundamental concepts on RF-over-fiber systems, figures of merit and design parameters.

• In-Building Fiber Distributed Antenna Systems (F-DAS): characteristics and design aspects.
  
• Fiber-based distribution of mm-wave signals: solutions and trends.

Readings/Bibliography

Gerd Keiser, "Optical Fiber Communications", Mc Graw Hill

Teaching methods

Oral lectures

Participation to Seminars

Laboratory Activities

Assessment methods

The exam will consist in a written part which must be passed in order to attend to a subsequent oral part.

The written parts aims to check the capability of the student to solve numerical exercises, regarding the different parts of the program, of the kind that are solved in class during the course. The result of the written part will be a "judgement": insufficient/sufficient/fair/good/very good.

Aim of the oral part is to integrate the judgement coming from the written part, taking into account the capability of the student to explain the concepts in a clear manner, and his effective understanding of the program contents.

The final level of preparation of the student will be expressed by a score (min: 18, max: 30 cum laude)

Teaching tools

Traditional Blackboard

Laboratory Measurement Devices

Exercises solved in class for training.

Office hours

See the website of Giovanni Tartarini