Optical communications systems are being developed and their capabilities are being improved at a remarkable rate. Lightwave technology that was developed over the last two decades and more has changed our lives. Undersea and underground optical fibers of large capacity now carry the bulk of total communications traffic generated. Because of this rapid development many high bandwidth services are being offered or are planned for the near future. These optical communications networks rely on the use of a number of fundamental components and devices including light emitters, optical fibers, detectors, and switches as well as a number of other components of various types (connectors, couplers, filters, isolators, circulators, etc.) for their construction. The goal of this course is to describe the basic operation of these devices. While attention will be paid to the state-of-the-art in these technologies it is the purpose and goal of this course to provide the student with a fundamental understanding of the most important optical devices so that the student can understand and evaluate the operation and capabilities of new devices as they are introduced into the market. The lectures will also attempt to place the devices in the context of an optical communication system so that students will be able to understand how the performance of the devices limit or enhance the performance of the overall system.
