| Popis: |
To understand better how light is used in modern optical communications, it helps to first understand the history of light and how people have used it throughout history to observe, send, and receive information. This chapter discusses early uses of light, dating back more than three centuries, as both a navigation tool and a topic of research on its basic nature. It continues with further developments in using light as a communication medium, up to the invention of optical fiber in the late 20th century. This introductory chapter provides context for the remainder of the book, which discusses both the scientific fundamentals that allow optical communication to work and the modern advances used in today's high-speed networks. |
