This book covers important aspects of modern optical communication. It is intended to serve both students and professionals. Consequently, a solid coverage of the necessary fundamentals is combined with an in-depth discussion of recent relevant research results. The book has grown from lecture notes over the years, starting 1992. It accompanies my present lectures Optical Communication A (Fundamentals), B (Mode Coupling), C (Modulation Formats) and D (Selected Topics) at the University of Paderborn, Germany. I gratefully acknowledge contributions to this book from Dr. Timo Pfau, Dr. David Sandel, Dr. Sebastian Hoffmann and Mohamed El-Darawy. Contents Contents 1 Introduction...1 2 Optical Waves in Fibers and Components...3 2. 1 Electromagnetic Fundamentals ...3 2. 1. 1 Maxwell's Equations ...3 2. 1. 2 Boundary Conditions ...6 2. 1. 3 Wave Equation...8 2. 1. 4 Homogeneous Plane Wave in Isotropic Homogeneous Medium...9 2. 1. 5 Power and Energy ...13 2. 2 Dielectric Waveguides ...18 2. 2. 1 Dielectric Slab Waveguide ...18 2. 2. 2 Cylindrical Dielectric Waveguide...26 2. 3 Polarization ...40 2. 3. 1 Representing States-of-Polarization...40 2. 3. 2 Anisotropy, Index Ellipsoid ...45 2. 3. 3 Jones Matrices, MuThis book covers important aspects of modern optical communication. It is intended to serve both students and professionals. Consequently, a solid coverage of the necessary fundamentals is combined with an in-depth discussion of recent relevant research results. The book has grown from lecture notes over the years, starting 1992. It accompanies my present lectures Optical Communication A (Fundamentals), B (Mode Coupling), C (Modulation Formats) and D (Selected Topics) at the University of Paderborn, Germany. I gratefully acknowledge contributions to this book from Dr. Timo Pfau, Dr. David Sandel, Dr. Sebastian Hoffmann and Mohamed El-Darawy. Contents Contents 1 Introduction...1 2 Optical Waves in Fibers and Components...3 2. 1 Electromagnetic Fundamentals ...3 2. 1. 1 Maxwell's Equations ...3 2. 1. 2 Boundary Conditions ...6 2. 1. 3 Wave Equation...8 2. 1. 4 Homogeneous Plane Wave in Isotropic Homogeneous Medium...9 2. 1. 5 Power and Energy ...13 2. 2 Dielectric Waveguides ...18 2. 2. 1 Dielectric Slab Waveguide ...18 2. 2. 2 Cylindrical Dielectric Waveguide...26 2. 3 Polarization ...40 2. 3. 1 Representing States-of-Polarization...40 2. 3. 2 Anisotropy, Index Ellipsoid ...45 2. 3. 3 Jones Matrices, Muller Matrices ...52 2. 3. 4 Monochromatic Polarization Transmission ...64 2. 3. 5 Polarization Mode Dispersion...71 2. 4 Linear Electrooptic Effect...80 2. 4. 1 Phase Modulation ...80 2. 4. 2 Soleil-Babinet Compensator ...84 2. 5 Mode Coupling ...88 2. 5. 1 Mode Orthogonality...88 2. 5. 2 Mode Coupling Theory...