OFDM for Optical Communications

Chapter 1 Introduction

In the virtually infinite broad electromagnetic spectrum, there are only two windows that have been largely used for modern-day broadband communications. The first window spans from the long-wave radio to millimeter wave, or from 100 kHz to 300 GHz in frequency, whereas the second window lies in the infrared lightwave region, or from 30 THz to 300 THz in frequency. The first window provides the applications that we use in our daily lives, including broadcast radio and TV, wireless local area networks (LANs), and mobile phones. These applications offer the first meter or first mile access of the information networks to the end user with broadband connectivity or the mobility in the case of the wireless systems. Nevertheless, ...