An Introduction to Optoelectronics & Optical Communications

Optical communications are the dominant means of information transmission in the world. Even though the physical limitations of electrical cable prevent speeds in excess of 10 Gigabits per second, the physical limitations of fiber optics have not yet been reached. Everyday lifeapplications such as broadband internet, cable HD TV, telemedicine, YouTube, online gaming and cloud based services like e-banking, Facebook and Twitter, owe their existence to the vast bandwidth capacity of the currently deployed global optical communication system. Optical communications to address limitations of radio frequency (RF) communications, including: bandwidth, spectrum and overall size of frequency packages and power used. Optical spectrumuses light as a means of transmitting information via lasers.Optical communicationsbenefits include being faster, more secure, lighter and more flexible. The objectives of the course (offered for undergraduate and postgraduate students) are the following:Realise the different technologies involved within the Optical Communication Technologies Understand the operational principles of the various optoelectronic systems are involved in an optical communications networkTo be aware of the new concepts of optical communications in the fields of optical networking and 5G Communications

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