Zhilu Zhang’s Comps Presentation
Wednesday, February 3rd
3:10 pm in Olin 141
The Physics of Fiber Optic communication
Since its first invention in the 1970s, fiber optic communication technology has been developing so rapidly that it has become ubiquitous in our lives: the information age in which people can be connected to opposite ends of the globe almost instantly with personal computers would not have been possible without it. Today, billions of gigabytes of data are transmitted per second through this form of communication. In my talk, I will provide a brief overview of the fiber optic communication. More specifically, I will introduce a few of the most important components of the communication system, and talk about how these components function. Along the way, physics that aids our understanding will also be discussed. Due to limited time, emphasis will be put on the optical fiber that carries optical signals and optical modulators and detectors that convert electronic signals to optical signals back and forth.