Abstract

Twenty-three years have passed since the attainment of the first low-loss optical fiber intended for telecommunication applications. The rapid research progress in the light-wave field that ensued has led to the widespread deployment of optical fibers in telecommunications systems throughout the industry. Optical fiber transmission systems are now in commercial use under the ocean to link continents, on land to join cities, and in metropolitan areas to connect telephone central offices and to distribute broadband services. Indeed, optical fiber has emerged as the undisputed transmission medium of choice in almost all areas of telecommunication, because it offers unrivaled transmission capacity at a lower cost compared to other media.

© 1993 Optical Society of America