The aim of this subject is to make students be able to:

- Acquire practical knowledge in the laboratory about optical communications and optical transmission networks, giving special attention to the performance and correct handling of optical devices and pieces of equipment that are usually employed in telecommunications through optical fibers. (Competence S4 of the telecommunications module.)

- Acquire skills to be able to set up fiber optic systems (Competence S5 of the telecommunications module.)

- Lesson 1: INTRODUCTION TO OPTICAL FIBERS

(Optical fiber: critical angle, evanescent field, structure, types, applications, refractive index profiles, numerical aperture, transmission capacity, historical view)

- Lesson 2: PROPAGATION IN OPTICAL FIBERS

(Attenuation: intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms, transmission windows, maximum distance limited by attenuation. Dispersion: concept, effects, types of dispersion, maximum distance limited by dispersion. Cables and fibers: structure, types of cables. Connectors and splices: intrinsic and extrinsic losses, connector losses, types of connectors, polishing, splices)

- Lesson 3: OPTICAL EMITTERS

(LEDs: working principle, SLEDs and ELEDs, efficiencies. LASERs: working principle, Fabry-Perot laser, efficiencies, emission modes, lasers based on distributed mirrors, external modulators)

- Lesson 4: OPTICAL DETECTORS

(Photodiodes: working principle, efficiencies and responsivity, spectral features. Avalanche photodiodes vs PIN photodiodes, design of an optical link taking into account the times of response of the laser, of the optical fiber, and of the receiver)

- Lesson 5: OPTICAL AMPLIFIERS AND NON-LINEAR EFFECTS

(Optical amplifiers: working principle, EDFA, SOA and Raman. Non-linear effects: classification and description)



Practical laboratory work:

- P1: Optical power meter and dual laser source

- P2: Measurement of the numerical aperture and other parameters of interest in multimode fibers

- P3: WDM transmission systems

- P4: Measurement of an optical communications network

- P5: Polarization of light and its applications

- P6: Measurement of a semiconductor laser

The theory of each lesson is explained using slides in the lectures. These lectures will be complemented by problem-solving activities. The experience gained during the lectures will be applied to the practical laboratory work and the obtained results will be processed and reported during seminars.

The total score of the subject is divided into two sections:

- 35 % of the total score: assessment of the written exam.

- 65 % of the total score: assessment of the practical laboratory work.



To pass the subject it is required:

- To get a score equal to or greater than 5 points out of 10 on the written exam

and

- to get a score equal to or greater than 5 points out of 10 on the practical laboratory work.



Assessment of the written exam:

- Only final assessment.

* Written exam in the official examination hour: set of problems and/or questions.



Assessment of the practical laboratory work:

- Continuous assessment:

* Reports of the obtained measurements.

* Team work; it is mandatory to submit each report after each session.

* Students have the right to be assessed by final assessment: they must report a written statement for such a claim, with a deadline of 9 weeks, starting from the beginning of the four-month period.

- Final assessment:

* Practical exam after the written exam (in the official examination date).



Declining to sit: not attending the final exam call will be considered equivalent to a withdrawal (no examination attempt is used).

Notes of the subject. Slides in PowerPoint. Guide notes and reports of the practical laboratory work. Available at eGela.

Basic bibliography

"Fiber Optic Communications" (4th Edition) Joseph C. Palais, Prentice Hall, 1998.

"Fiber Optic Communications" (5th Edition) Joseph C. Palais, Prentice Hall, 2004.

In-depth bibliography

"Optoelectronics and Photonics", S.O. Kasap, 2001.
"Problemas de Comunicaciones Ópticas, Tomo 1: dispositivos", Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, José Capmany, Daniel Pastor, Beatriz Ortega, 1998.

Journals

Revista Española de Física: http://www.revistadefisica.es/index.php/ref/index