George Mason University

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

ECE 565: Introduction to Optoelectronics

cross-listed as

TCOM 503-513, Introduction to Optical

Communications/Optical Communications Networks

and as

ECE 590, Optical Networks

Spring, 2010

Course Description & Syllabus

As of 15 January 2010

Instructor: : Dr. Thomas Fowler, Adjunct Professor

Office: by appointment

703-610-2944

email: tfowler@noblis.org or tfowler@gmu.edu

COURSE OBJECTIVE: To provide an introduction to the operating principles of

optoelectronic devices used in various current and future information processing and

transmission systems, and on the principles of optical fiber operation. We will also

discuss the operation of optical networks and optical network technology such as

SONET. The course is taught as a continuous sequence of lectures for 14 weeks. For

TCOM students, the first 7 weeks correspond to TCOM 503, and the last 7 to TCOM

513. Emphasis in the course will be on understanding the principles involved, not

rederiving all the results in the textbook, though we will do some of that. The course

lectures are intended to supplement, not replace the textbook and other references.

DESIRED BACKGROUND: Electromagnetics, Semiconductor Devices, and Basic

Optics.

TEXT: Fundamentals of Photonics, Saleh and Teich, Wiley Interscience, 2nd

edition,

2007. Other material from the web will be used as well. A less technical presentation of

some of the material may be found in the following book (which also covers other

subjects):

Understanding Optical Communications, Harry Dutton, Prentice-Hall, 1998,

available online from IBM at

http://publib-

b.boulder.ibm.com/Redbooks.nsf/9445fa5b416f6e32852569ae006bb65f/4b2935a

c69aa2651852565d9006e03a9?OpenDocument

Or use http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/pubs/pdfs/redbooks/sg245230.pdf

Other Useful Books:

Fiber Optic Communications, 5th

Edition, Joseph C. Palais, Prentice-Hall, 2004.

Optical Switching and Networking Handbook, R. J. Bates, McGraw-Hill, 2001.

Fiber Optic Reference Guide, David R. Goff, Boston: Focal Press, 1999.

Optical Networks: A Practical Perspective, Rajiv Ramaswami & Kumar N.

Sivarajan, Morgan-Kaufmann, 1998.

Any general physics text, such as those of Tipler, Hecht, or Halliday & Resnick.

Other resources (you might need to register with Agilent for access to some of their

items):

Back to Basics in Optical Technology (Agilent):

http://www.educatorscorner.com/media/LW_Back2Basics_Optical_Comm.pdf

Interactive Physics and Math With Java (Indiana State Univ)

http://physicsstudio.indstate.edu/java/physlets/index.html

Basics of Lightwave Technology I & II (Agilent):

http://www.educatorscorner.com/media/LW_basics1.pdf

http://www.educatorscorner.com/media/LW_basics2.pdf

During the course of the semester, students will be advised to download items from the

Internet. To start, it is recommended that anyone enrolling in the course register at the

IEC web site, www.iec.org (free) and download tutorials (white papers) from the ―online

education‖ tab (all free). There are too many to list here—chose those most valuable to

you. Some of interest are:

Dense Wave Division Multiplexing [IEC]

Driving Optical Network Evolution [Cisco]

Ethernet Passive Optical Networks [Cisco]

Fiber Optic Technology [Corning]

Multiprotocol Label Switching [Intel]

Generalized Multiprotocol Label Switching (GMPLS) [IEC]

Introduction to Optical Transmission [IEC]

Light without Limits: Taming Dispersion in Tomorrow's High-Speed Networks

[Telecommunications Systems]

Optical Networks [Alcatel]

Optical Ethernet [Agilent]

Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) [IEC]

SYLLABUS:

Week 1: Background: Review of basic principles from ray, wave and

electromagnetic optics, (Saleh, parts of Chapters 1, 2, 3,and 5).

Week 2: Basic Principles (continued) Optical wave representation,

Interferometers.

Week 3: Optical Resonators: Planar mirror resonators, modes of resonators,

spherical mirror resonators, confinement, Gaussian beams (Saleh,

Chapter 9).

Weeks 4-5: Photons and Matter: Energy levels, Interactions of photons and

atoms, population inversion, spontaneous and stimulated emission

(Saleh, parts of Chapters 11 and 12).

Weeks 6-7: Lasers: gain mechanism, rate equations, laser oscillation theory,

laser types (Saleh, Chapters 13 and 14).

Week 8: Photons in Semiconductors: Review of semiconductor theory,

energy band structure, materials, electrons and holes, junctions,

(Saleh, Chapter 15).

Week 9: Continuation of photons in semiconductors: interactions of photons

with electrons and holes. Semiconductor Photon Sources: Light

emitting diodes, Fabry-Perot lasers, VCSELs, other solid-state

lasers, Semiconducting Laser Amplifiers, Injection Lasers,

Erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFA) (Saleh, Chapter 16).

Week 10: Semiconductor Photon Detectors: Properties of Photodetectors,

Photoconductors, Photodiodes, Avalanche Photodiodes,

Phototransistors, Noise Mechanisms, Signal-to-noise analysis

(Saleh, Chapter 17).

Week 11 Principles of optical fiber. Optical fiber fabrication. Practical

considerations with optical fiber. Test equipment and

measurement techniques. Modulation of optical signals, formats,

receivers. How light is modulated and coupled into optical fiber.

Week 12: Practical limitations on device behavior. Formats used to transmit

information using light and optics. Noise and detection. Types of

noise and distortion which affects optical signals. Methods of

reducing effects of noise and distortion. Optimal detection

methods and devices.

Week 13: Opto-electronic networks: FDDI, Fiber channel, SONET, SDH,

Ethernet on optical networks. Basic principles of wavelength

division multiplexing (WDM), including dense wavelength

division multiplexing (DWDM), and corresponding architectures.

Components required for WDM networks. International standards

for WDM networks.

Week 14: Basics of fiber optic system design. How fiber optic systems differ

from conventional systems. Assembly of a communications

network from fiber optic components. Calculation of loss and

dispersion. Carrier network architectures

GRADING: 30% homework, 35% midterm exam, 35% final exam. Tests for ECE 565

students may differ from those for TCOM 503/513 students due to different goals for the

respective programs. Due to many problems in the past, I have implemented new rules

for homework and grading. All work must be turned in on time. Late homework will not

be accepted; however, you are allowed to miss one homework. If you cannot come to

class, you can email or fax the homework. If you submit all homework assignments, I

will drop your lowest grade. If you cannot submit the homework or complete the

coursework due to health or other problems, you should consult with the department

about dropping the course, or make some arrangement with him to retake it at a later date.

So that there is no misunderstanding, NO CHANGES WILL BE MADE TO FINAL

GRADES UNLESS THERE WAS A RECORDING OR CALCULATION ERROR.

Lecture/homework Posting: All course material will be available on the following site:

www.olvschooldc.net/tcom/tcom503.html

I will make every effort to post lectures by the Friday before class. Homework

assignment and solutions will also be posted there.

Syllabus

ECE 565—Introduction to Optoelectronics

TCOM 503/513—Fiber Optic Networks/Optical Communications Networks

ECE 590—Optical Networks

Spring, 2010

Week Topics Text Reading

21 January • Review of basic principles from physics

• Ray, wave and electromagnetic optics

Chapter 1: Ray Optics

1.1, 1.2 A-D, 1.3 A-B, 1.4 A-D

Chapter 2: Wave Optics

2.1, 2.2 A-C, 2.4 A-C, 2.5 A-B,

2.6 A-B

28 January • Review of basic principles from physics (continued)

• Optical wave representation

• Interferometers

Chapter 3: Beam Optics

3.1 A-B, 3.2 A-C, 3.3

Chapter 5: Electromagnetic

Optics

5.1, 5.2 A-B, 5.3, 5.4 A-B, 5.5 A-

C, 5.6

4 February • Optical Resonators

• Planar mirror resonators

• Modes of resonators

• Spherical mirror resonators

• Confinement

• Gaussian beams

Chapter 9: Resonator Optics

9.1 A-C, 9.2 A-D

11 February • Photons and Matter

• Energy levels

Chapter 11: Photon Optics

11.1 A-F, 11.2 A-D

18 February • Interactions of photons and atoms

• Population inversion

• Spontaneous and stimulated emission

Chapter 12: Photons and Atoms

12.1 A-B, 12.2 A-D, 12.3 A-B,

12.4

25 February • Lasers I

• Gain mechanism

• Rate equations

• Pumping

• Examples

4 March • Lasers II

• Gain and gain coefficient

• Laser oscillation theory

• Laser types

• Power and spectral distribution

• Polarization

• Mode selection

• Mid Term Exam ECE 565/Final Exam TCOM 503

• End of TCOM 503

Chapter 13: Laser Amplifiers

13.1 A-B, 13.2 A-C

11 March *** Spring Recess – No class ***

18 March • Beginning of TCOM 513

• Review of semiconductor theory

• Energy band structure, materials, electrons and holes, junctions

Chapter 15: Photons in

Semiconductors

15.1: A-F

25 March • Interactions of photons with electrons and holes

• Light emitting diodes

• Fabry-Perot lasers

• VCSELs

• Other solid-state lasers

Chapter 15: 15.2 A-C

Chapter 16: Semiconductor

Photon Sources

16.1: A-B

16.2: A-C

1 April • Semiconducting Laser Amplifiers

• Injection Lasers

• Erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFA)

• Properties of Photodetectors

• Photoconductors

• Photodiodes..

Chapter 16: Semiconductor

Photon Sources

16.3: A-F

Chapter 17: Semiconductor

Photon Detectors

17.1: A-C, 17.2, 17.3: A-D

8 April • Modulation of optical signals, formats, receivers.

• How light is modulated and coupled into optical fiber.

• Practical limitations on device behavior.

• Formats used to transmit information using light and optics

Chapter 7, sec. 7.1-7.3;

Tektronix SONET tutorial (from

IEC);

Chapter 8, sec. 8.6

15 April • Noise and detection.

• Types of noise and distortion which affects optical signals.

• Methods of reducing effects of noise and distortion.

• Optimal detection methods and devices

Chapter 7, sec. 7.4 - 7.7

22 April • Overview of opto-electronic networks

• FDDI

• Fiber Channel

• SONET

• Ethernet on optical networks

• ATM on optical networks

Dutton, Chapter 8

Synchronous Optical Network

from Tektronix (IEC)

Synchronous Digital Hierarchy

from Marconi (IEC)

Optical Ethernet from Luxpath

(IEC)

Introduction to Optical

Transmission from Nortel (IEC)

29 April • Avalanche Photodiodes

• Phototransistors

• Noise Mechanisms

• Signal-to-noise analysis

Chapter 17: Semiconductor

Photon Detectors

17.4: A-C, 17.5 A-D