Students of this subject will acquire:

- Practical knowledge about optical communications and optical transmission networks, paying special attention to the operation and correct handling of optical devices and other pieces of equipment that are usually employed in optical fiber telecommunications. (Competence S4 of the telecommunications module.)

- Sufficient 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

Students of this subject work individually or in groups. On one hand, students work individually in the lectures + practical classroom work; on the other, they work in groups of three or four in the seminars + practical laboratory work. The methodology is explained in more detail below:

- Lectures: theoretical basics and concepts are explained using PowerPoint presentations.

- Practical classroom work: problem-solving activities are carried out; these problems are related to the theory explained in the lectures.

- Seminars: experimental measurements in the practical laboratory work are processed and recorded in standard reports.

- Practical laboratory work: experimental measurements are performed in groups of three or four.

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

- 35% of the total mark: assessment of the lectures + practical classroom work.

- 65% of the total mark: assessment of the seminars + practical laboratory work.



To pass the subject it is required:

- To get at least a 50% pass mark on the lectures + practical classroom work

and

- to get at least a 50% pass mark on the seminars + practical laboratory work.



Assessment of the lectures + practical classroom work:

- Continuous assessment:

* Questionnaires in the eGela platform (7% of the total grade).

* Set of problems and/or questions in a final written exam in the official examination date of the final assessment test (28% of the total grade).

* Students have the right to be graded by final assessment: they must present a written request to do this, within 9 weeks, starting from the beginning of the four-month period.

- Final assessment:

* Set of problems and/or questions in a final written exam in the official examination date of the final assessment test (35% of the total grade).



Assessment of the seminars + practical laboratory work:

- Continuous assessment:

* Standard reports of the measurements obtained (65% of the total grade).

* Students work in groups and each report must be submitted after each session.

* Students have the right to be graded by final assessment: they must present a written request to do this, within 9 weeks, starting from the beginning of the four-month period.

- Final assessment:

* Practical exam after the written exam in the official examination date of the final assessment test (65% of the total grade).

* Individual.



Withdrawal from a call:

- Continuous assessment: students may withdraw from the ordinary exam call one month before the end of the teaching period. To do this, they must present a written request to this end.

- Final assessment: non-attendance at the exam call in the official examination date of the final assessment test will result in a withdrawal (NOT PRESENTED will be applied).

Lecture materials and notes are available in the eGela virtual platform:
- PowerPoint slides used in the lectures.
- Questions from the exercises worked on in the practical classroom work.
- Manuals and standard reports of the seminars and practical laboratory work.

Information about the use of materials, media and resources:
- During teaching activities (continuous assessment):
* No telephone systems, devices or any other type of help are permitted, except as provided for below.
* Students are permitted to use books or course notes as well as electronic or computer systems or devices. Should these systems or devices have access to the Internet, any search for other than instructional materials will be prohibited.

- In the final assessment test (both continuous assessment and final assessment):
* Neither books or course notes nor telephone, electronic or computer systems or devices nor any other type of help are permitted, except as provided for below.
* Students are only permitted to use calculators.

Basic bibliography

G. Aldabaldetreku, G. Durana, Komunikazio optikoetako sistemak. Euskal Herriko Unibertsitateko Argitalpen Zerbitzua / Servicio Editorial de la Universidad del País Vasco, 2019.

J. Capmany, F. J. Fraile-Peláez, J. Martí, Fundamentos de comunicaciones ópticas. Síntesis, 2001.

G. Durana, G. Aldabaldetreku, Fundamentos de campos electromagnéticos para Ingeniería. Euskal Herriko Unibertsitateko Argitalpen Zerbitzua / Servicio Editorial de la Universidad del País Vasco, 2017.

A. K. Ghatak, K. Thyagarajan, An Introduction to fiber optics. Cambridge University Press, 1998.

W. B. Jones, Introduction to optical fiber communication systems. Oxford University Press, 1988.

J. C. Palais, Fiber optic communications. Prentice Hall, 2004.

J. M. Senior, Optical fiber communications: principles and practice. Prentice-Hall, 1985.

A. W. Snyder, J. D. Love, Optical waveguide theory. Chapman and Hall, 1983.

J. R. Taylor, An Introduction to Error Analysis: The Study of Uncertainties in Physical Measurements, University Science Books, 1997.

K. Thyagarajan, A. K. Ghatak, Fiber optic essentials. John Wiley and Sons, 2007.

In-depth bibliography

G. P. Agrawal, Fiber-optic communication systems. John Wiley and Sons, 2002.
M. Born, E. Wolf, Principles of optics. Pergamon Press, 1990.
J. Capmany, D. Pastor, B. Ortega, Problemas de Comunicaciones Ópticas, Tomo 1: dispositivos, Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, 1998.
J. W. Goodman, Statistical optics. John Wiley and Sons, 1985.
E. Hecht, Optica. Addison Wesley, 2002.
H. Hughes, Telecommunications cables. John Wiley and Sons, 1997.
H. C. van de Hulst, Light scattering by small particles. Dover Publications, 1981.
J. D. Jackson, Classical electrodynamics. John Wiley and Sons, 1999.
G. Keiser, Optical fiber communications. McGraw-Hill, 1991.
M. G. Kuzyk, Polymer fiber optics: materials, physics, and applications. Taylor and Francis, 2007.
J. Powers, An introduction to fiber optic systems. McGraw-Hill, 2002.
B. E. A. Saleh, M. C. Teich, Fundamentals of photonics. John Wiley and Sons, 2007.

Journals

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