The optical fiber based supercontinuum source has recently become a significant scientific and commercial success, with applications ranging from frequency comb production to advanced medical imaging. This one-of-a-kind book explains the theory of fiber supercontinuum broadening, describes the diverse operational regimes and indicates principal areas of applications, making it a very important guide for researchers and graduate students. With contributions from major figures and groups who have pioneered research in this field, the book describes the historical development of the subject, provides a background to the associated nonlinear optical processes, treats the generation mechanisms from continuous wave to femtosecond pulse pump regimes and highlights the diverse applications. A full discussion of numerical methods and comprehensive computer code are also provided, enabling readers to confidently predict and model supercontinuum generation characteristics under realistic conditions.

An optical fibre is a glass or plastic fibre designed to guide light along its length by confining as much light as possible in a propagating form. In fibre with large core diameter, the confinement is based on total internal reflection. In smaller diameter core fibres, (widely used for most communication links longer than 200 meters) the confinement relies on establishing a waveguide. Fibre optics is the overlap of applied science and engineering concerned with such optical fibres. Optical fibres are widely used in fibre-optic communication, which permits transmission over longer distances and at higher data rates than other forms of wired and wireless communications. They are also used to form sensors, and in a variety of other applications. The term optical fibre covers a range of different designs including graded-index optical fibres, step-index optical fibres, birefringent polarisation-maintaining fibres and more recently photonic crystal fibres, with the design and the wavelength of the light propagating in the fibre dictating whether or not it will be multi-mode optical fibre or single-mode optical fibre. Because of the mechanical properties of the more common glass optical fibres, special methods of splicing fibres and of connecting them to other equipment are needed. Manufacture of optical fibres is based on partially melting a chemically doped pre-form and pulling the flowing material on a draw tower. Fibres are built into different kinds of cables depending on how they will be used. This new book presents the latest research in the field.

This non-technical book examines Britain's cable communications industry -- the leader in Europe with a powerful fibre network, capable of delivering hundreds of channels, cable TV, advanced telephony and the new interactive services.

Ian Scales who has been covering the industry since the early 1980s, explains why cable is a major factor in engineering the UK's current pole position on the European Information Superhighway. He reviews the basics of the technology, its history and how services might evolve as the market in both entertainment and two-way communications between people and businesses continues to boom.

This book presents a comprehensive introduction to the design of compact and broadband fiber and waveguide devices using active-ion-doped photonic glasses. Combining cutting-edge theory with new applications, it shows how the complementarity of emission spectra of different active ions can be used in broadband fiber amplifiers and optical fiber communication, and describes how the quantum cutting of active ions can improve the match between the solar spectrum and the responsiveness of silicon cells. Mathematical modeling is used to predict the performance of photonic fiber and waveguide devices, and experimental data from glass doped with rare-earth ions is included. Offering unique insights into the state-of-the-art of the field, this is an ideal reference for researchers and practitioners, and invaluable reading for students in optoelectronics, electrical engineering, and materials science.

The Centre for Smart Infrastructure aims to develop and commercialise emerging technologies which will provide radical changes in the construction and management of infrastructure, leading to considerably enhanced efficiencies, economies and adaptability. This book offers comprehensive guidance on developments of distributed optical fibre sensing. Smart monitoring for performance-based design is increasingly being recognised as an essential tool for improving construction processes, delivering efficiency and reducing over specification. On the other hand, the high level of maintenance required to preserve our ageing infrastructure and run it at full capacity has created a demand for structural health monitoring or performance-based maintenance.

Recent advances in the development of low-loss optical fibers have revolutionized the field of telecommunications, and fiber-based networks form a key part of international communications systems. This book introduces the physical principles of optical fibers, and details their use in sensor technology and modern optical communication systems. The authors begin by setting out the basic propagation characteristics of single mode and multimode optical fibers. In later chapters they cover optical sources, optical detectors, and fiber-optic communication system design. They also treat a wide variety of related topics such as doped fiber amplifiers, dispersion compensation, fiber sensors, and measurement techniques for the characterization of optical fibers. The book emphasizes physical and engineering aspects of the subject. It will be an ideal textbook for undergraduate or graduate students taking courses in optical fiber communications, photonics, or optoelectronics.

Applications of Nonlinear Fiber Optics, Third Edition presents sound coverage of the fundamentals of lightwave technology, along with material on pulse compression techniques and rare-earth-doped fiber amplifiers and lasers. The book's chapters include information on fiber-optic communication systems and the ultrafast signal processing techniques that make use of nonlinear phenomena in optical fibers. This book is an ideal reference for R&D engineers working on developing next generation optical components, scientists involved with research on fiber amplifiers and lasers, graduate students, and researchers working in the fields of optical communications and quantum information.