This is a tiny book, just over 100 pages, but is packed with dense information. In only three chapters, the authors race from Maxwell’s equations through an extensive history of fiber optic communications technologies to the latest modulation techniques.
The middle chapter, the most extensive one, focuses on polarization theory and applications, with half of the chapter on a polarization shift keying modulation format published by the authors. The third and final chapter, which should have delivered on the title’s promise, is shorter and less detailed than expected. A puzzling early claim in the introduction is that current modulation technologies in optical fiber do not utilize frequency modulation, even though the book covers the development and state of the art in WDM.
The mathematical treatment is in-depth throughout the book, as one would expect from this topic. A multitude of diagrams and charts, some in color in the online version reviewed, help clarify the concepts. The index is relatively sparse, skipping some basic terms altogether (QPSK) while missing several occurrences of terms that are listed. Without problem sets and with the text so condensed, this is an unlikely candidate for use as a textbook, but it will make a fine reference for a professional in the field. The brevity and mathematical depth allow for either a quick browse of the high-level concepts or a deep dive into the intricacies of the equation.
Review by Bogdan Hoanca, University of Alaska Anchorage, USA.
The opinions expressed in the book review section are those of the reviewer and do not necessarily reflect those of OPN or its publisher, Optica (formerly OSA).