Broadband Coherent Communication System

Abstract

During the last few years, there has been an increasing demand for high-speed data transmission. Although, fiber optics technology has matured already for high data transport, however, for spaces lacking the fiber infrastructure, wireless technologies are becoming the medium of choice for broadband networking. The first investigations on optoelectronic satellite link were based on intensity modulation of the laser beam and the system is still very bulky and heavy. Thus, it becomes rapidly evident that optical coherent communication is the only way to achieve the requirement of space communication. Coherent communication also has advantages over the intensity modulation system in terms of quantum noise, it also allows better packing of the channel in frequency domain. In the present paper an outline of the coherent communication system pertaining to fiber optics and free space communications is discussed.

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Notes on contributors

Amitabha Basuray

Amitabha Basuray, born in Dec, 1943, did his MTech and PhD(Sc) from the Department of Applied Physics, Calcutta University in 1967 and 1973 respectively. He joined the Department of Applied Physics, Calcutta University as a Lecturer in 1972 and presently serving as a Professor in the same Department. He was the Head of the Department of Applied Physics during 2000 to 2002.

The research interest of Prof Basuray is optical instruments, laser, optical waveguides and optical computation. A good number of students obtained their PhD degree under his guidance. He has published about 60 papers in different international journals and presented practically same number of papers in different national and international symposia.

Professor Basuray is a Fellow of the Indian Society of Lighting Engineers (ISLE) and the Optical Society of India (OSI). He was a representative of ISLE in the International Committee of CIE, 1999–2002. Prof Basuray was also General Secretary of OSI during 1980–83 and presently is the Editor of the Journal of Optics, the quarterly publication of OSI.