I have written this book to ?ll a void between theory and practice, a
void that
Iperceivedwhileconductingmyownresearchanddevelopmentofcomponents and
instruments over the last ?ve years. In the chapters that follow I have
pulled materials from the technical and patent literature that are
relevant to the understanding and practice of polarization optics in
telecommuni- tions, material that is often known by the respective
experts in industry and academia but is rarely if ever found in one
place. By bringing this material intoonemonograph,
andbyapplyingasingleformalismthroughout, Ihopeto create a "base level"
upon which future research and development can grow. Polarization optics
in telecommunications is an ever-evolving ?eld. Each
yearsigni?cantadvancementsaremade, punctuatedbyimportantdiscoveries. The
references upon which this book is based are only a snap-shot in time.
Areasthatremainunresolvedatthetimeofpublicationmayverywellbecl- i?ed in
the years to come. Moreover, the focus of the ?eld changes in time: for
instance, there have been few passive nonreciprocal component
advancements reported in the last few years, but PMD and PDL advancement
continues with only modest abatement.