This book is a detailed description of all the aspects of ultrahigh
speed optical transmission technology. Ultrahigh-speed optical
transmission technology is a key technology for increasing the
communication capacity. In optical fibre networks, the number of
wavelength channels and the bit rate per wavelength channel, i.e. the
TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) bit rate, determine the transmission
capacity. Currently, TDM bit rates of more than 40 Gbit/s require
optical signal processing (Optical Time Division Multiplexing, OTDM).
OTDM bit rates of up to 1.2 Tbit/s have already been reported. The
devices developed for ultrahigh-speed optical transmission are not
limited to communication applications only. They are key devices for
high-speed optical signal processing, i.e. monitoring, measurement and
control, and will thus give a wide technological basis for innovative
science and technology. All these aspects of ultrahigh-speed optical
transmission technology are described in detail in this book.