The student will acquire the knowledge of: • the reasons why optical fiber systems are today the backbone of fixed telecommunication networs • optical fiber transmission systems main features, performance, potential and impairments • the related transmitter and receiver technologies and algorithms needed to achieve reliable communication over fiber The expected outcome of the course is the ability for the student to: • understand the design and optimization process of practical optical transmitter and receiver systems, as well as of the fiber plant connecting them • apply such design techniques and optimization processes autonomously to practical transmission system examples.

This course has the following mandatory prerequisites • a thorough understanding of the mathematical topics presented in the Bachelor (or "Laurea") degree, including calculus and linear algebra. • a sound and well-established prior knowledge of the fundamentals of signal theory (including probability and stochastic processes) and of basic digital communications (digital modulations and their performance on the AWGN channel).

These are the course topics for the module “Optical Transmission” (6 credits) • Introduction to optical communication systems – a historical perspective • Systems without optical amplifiers o the ideal on-off optical transmission systems, fundamental quantum limits o practical non-amplified systems: typical structure, PIN and APD photodetection, modeling and performance calculation o design of systems using non-amplified systems: short and medium-haul systems, access and last-mile systems o a short introduction to quantum-limited optical systems • Systems with optical amplifiers o the system-level modeling of the optical amplifier, quantum amplification noise (or ASE noise) o the performance of the single-optical-amplifier on-off keying system o the performance of the multi-span chained-amplifier on-off keying system o systems with coherent detection o generalities and description, block diagrams o ideal performance characterization o receiver DSP block diagrams and algorithms • Linear and non-linear propagation effects in the optical fiber o chromatic dispersion (linear effect) o the Kerr effect (non-linear effect) o modeling of the interaction of linear and non-linear effects o compensation of chromatic dispersion based on DSP o countermeasures against non-linear effects o modeling and evaluation of the impact on realistic systems of the fiber propagation effects • Optical Systems utilization scenarios and related design optimization: o multi-thousand km submarine systems o optically-routed national and international backbone networks o data-center networks o access networks (fiber-to-the-home, or FTTH)

Theoretical lectures will be complemented by practice classes, which will be devoted to the solution of numerical problems and of small design projects on the course main topics, which are always related to real optical transmission systems with realistic parameters. These exercises will be solved in class.

The optical system topics are fully covered by the material (handouts) provided by the teachers, both for the lectures and the design problems. All such material will be available on the website prior to classes. No specific extra material is needed. For personal further reading on Optical systems: • Optical Fiber Telecommunications Volume VIA and VIB: Systems and Networks (Optics and Photonics) by Kaminow, Ivan, Li, Tingye and Willner, Alan E., Academic Press; 6 edition (May 11, 2013). ASIN: B00CZANHGW • Xiang Zhou and Chongjin Xie, Enabling Technologies for High Spectral-efficiency Coherent Optical Communication Networks, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2015. • D. Tse and P. Viswanath, Fundamentals of Wireless Communication. Cambridge University Press, 2005 • J.Proakis and M.Salehi, Digital Communications (5th ed). McGraw-Hill, 2008.

Exam: Written test; Optional oral exam;

These are the exam rules for the module “Optical Transmission” (6 credits) The written exam is based on: - 2 numerical exercises, similar to those that will be solved during the course. - 2 theoretical questions, requiring a free-text answer. The exam will last two hours and it will be scored on a full scale up to 30. The evaluation of the written exam is based on the correct development of the proposed exercises from the description of the symbolic-formula solutions up to the numerical results. The theoretical questions will be judged according to the completeness of the answers, but also on the ability of the students to reply in a concise way. This written exam is a “closed-book exam”. During the written exam the student can use only: • A pocket calculator (NO laptop, tablets etc. Any type of cellphone should be switched OFF) • A 4 pages (max) summary of formulas written by the student herself/himself (4 pages total, meaning 2 sheets if one writes on the front and back of each sheet) • No other technical material is allowed (thus no books, handouts, old exercises, etc) The students who will get a score above 15/30 at the written exam can ask for an optional oral exam, where the questions will mostly regard the theoretical aspects of the course. The optional oral exam is always organized a few days after the written exams. It gives rise to -3 to +3 points that are added to the result of the written exam. The written exam proposes exercises that allows to judge if the student knows the topic of the course and is able to apply this knowledge to solve some simplified design examples on modern digital transmission systems. The open questions allows to judge if the student has acquired the most relevant theoretical topic of the course. During the written exam, the students will be allowed to carry with them a pocket calculator, paper and pen and two pages of formulas written by themselves. No other material will be allowed (such as laptops, handouts, etc). During the semester, the Teacher will propose some optional technical challenges, that the students may try to solve and send to the Teacher. These optional technical challenges will be evaluated, giving a maximum score of up to 3 points. The final grade for Optical Communication is the sum of the aforementioned results of the written exam + optional technical challenges and + optional oral exam. If this final sum is above 31, the student will get “30 cum laude”. Finally, we remind that this is an integrated course of the two modules titled "Optical communications" and "Wireless communications". The final grade will be the average of the grades obtained in the two modules, i.e. roundup(0.5*(grade(Optical communications)+grade(Wireless communications ))

In addition to the message sent by the online system, students with disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) are invited to directly inform the professor in charge of the course about the special arrangements for the exam that have been agreed with the Special Needs Unit. The professor has to be informed at least one week before the beginning of the examination session in order to provide students with the most suitable arrangements for each specific type of exam.

Exam: Optional oral exam; Computer-based written test using the PoliTo platform;

These are the exam rules for the module “Optical Transmission” (6 credits) The written exam, organized using the Exam+Respondus POLITO platform is based on: - 2 numerical exercises, similar to those that will be solved during the course. - 2 theoretical questions, requiring a free-text answer. The exam will last two hours and it will be scored on a full scale up to 30. The evaluation of the written exam is based on the correct development of the proposed exercises from the description of the symbolic-formula solutions up to the numerical results. The theoretical questions will be judged according to the completeness of the answers, but also on the ability of the students to reply in a concise way. This written exam is a “closed-book exam”. During the written exam the student can use only: • A pocket calculator (NO laptop, tablets etc. Any type of cellphone should be switched OFF) • A 4 pages (max) summary of formulas written by the student herself/himself (4 pages total, meaning 2 sheets if one writes on the front and back of each sheet) • No other technical material is allowed (thus no books, handouts, old exercises, etc) The students who will get a score above 15/30 at the written exam can ask for an optional oral exam, where the questions will mostly regard the theoretical aspects of the course. The optional oral exam is always organized a few days after the written exams. It gives rise to -3 to +3 points that are added to the result of the written exam. The written exam proposes exercises that allows to judge if the student knows the topic of the course and is able to apply this knowledge to solve some simplified design examples on modern digital transmission systems. The open questions allows to judge if the student has acquired the most relevant theoretical topic of the course. During the written exam, the students will be allowed to carry with them a pocket calculator, paper and pen and two pages of formulas written by themselves. No other material will be allowed (such as laptops, handouts, etc). During the semester, the Teacher will propose some optional technical challenges, that the students may try to solve and send to the Teacher. These optional technical challenges will be evaluated, giving a maximum score of up to 3 points. The final grade for Optical Communication is the sum of the aforementioned results of the written exam + optional technical challenges and + optional oral exam. If this final sum is above 31, the student will get “30 cum laude”. Finally, we remind that this is an integrated course of the two modules titled "Optical communications" and "Wireless communications". The final grade will be the average of the grades obtained in the two modules, i.e. roundup(0.5*(grade(Optical communications)+grade(Wireless communications ))

Exam: Written test; Optional oral exam; Computer-based written test using the PoliTo platform;

These are the exam rules for the module “Optical Transmission” (6 credits) The written exam, organized in the same way in class or using the Exam+Respondus POLITO platform is based on: - 2 numerical exercises, similar to those that will be solved during the course. - 2 theoretical questions, requiring a free-text answer. The exam will last two hours and it will be scored on a full scale up to 30. The evaluation of the written exam is based on the correct development of the proposed exercises from the description of the symbolic-formula solutions up to the numerical results. The theoretical questions will be judged according to the completeness of the answers, but also on the ability of the students to reply in a concise way. This written exam is a “closed-book exam”. During the written exam the student can use only: • A pocket calculator (NO laptop, tablets etc. Any type of cellphone should be switched OFF) • A 4 pages (max) summary of formulas written by the student herself/himself (4 pages total, meaning 2 sheets if one writes on the front and back of each sheet) • No other technical material is allowed (thus no books, handouts, old exercises, etc) The students who will get a score above 15/30 at the written exam can ask for an optional oral exam, where the questions will mostly regard the theoretical aspects of the course. The optional oral exam is always organized a few days after the written exams. It gives rise to -3 to +3 points that are added to the result of the written exam. The written exam proposes exercises that allows to judge if the student knows the topic of the course and is able to apply this knowledge to solve some simplified design examples on modern digital transmission systems. The open questions allows to judge if the student has acquired the most relevant theoretical topic of the course. During the written exam, the students will be allowed to carry with them a pocket calculator, paper and pen and two pages of formulas written by themselves. No other material will be allowed (such as laptops, handouts, etc). During the semester, the Teacher will propose some optional technical challenges, that the students may try to solve and send to the Teacher. These optional technical challenges will be evaluated, giving a maximum score of up to 3 points. The final grade for Optical Communication is the sum of the aforementioned results of the written exam + optional technical challenges and + optional oral exam. If this final sum is above 31, the student will get “30 cum laude”. Finally, we remind that this is an integrated course of the two modules titled "Optical communications" and "Wireless communications". The final grade will be the average of the grades obtained in the two modules, i.e. roundup(0.5*(grade(Optical communications)+grade(Wireless communications ))