Applied Electro Optics - Softcover

Desmarais, Louis

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0138027110 ISBN 13: 9780138027117

Publisher: Pearson Technology Group, 2008

Synopsis

80271-0 A "back-to-basics" guide to opto-electronic circuit design and construction. To successfully build and optimize opto-electronic circuits, you need to understand both the fundamentals of optics and electronics. Applied Electro-Optics provides engineers, designers and technicians with a firm background in both optical physics and circuit design. In Part I, the book introduces the basic theory of opto-electronics, including: * Maxwell's equations and the wave nature of light * Reflection and refraction, with extensive coverage of Snell's Law Interference phenomena and the Fabry-Perot interferometer * Diffraction effects and diffraction gratings * Polarization and electro-optic modulation * Photons, basic quantum theory, and spectroscopic techniques Then, in Part II, the book introduces each major element of an electro-optic system. Understand semiconductor light sources such as LEDs and diode lasers. Consider optical transmitters and discover how to minimize the impact of electromagnetic interference through careful circuit location, grounding, and shielding. Review the basic structure and operation of photodiodes, phototransistors, optocouplers, and photoconductors. Then, learn practical techniques for managing the trade-offs required to integrate these devices into useful circuits. A full chapter on optical receivers demonstrates how to integrate photodetectors into useful receiver circuits; both amplifier and hybrid circuits are covered. Finally, walk step-by-step through building and optimizing circuits for a variety of applications, including CD players and infrared data transmission. If your goal is to build the best possible opto-electronic circuits or just to understand how they operate, Applied Electro-Optics delivers just the right balance of theory and practice to help you.

About this title

From the Author:

A back-to-basics guide to optoelectronic circuit integration
The explosive growth in electro-optics has created a serious shortage of qualified workers in this field. Workers are needed not only in design and manufacturing but also in areas such as marketing, sales, and product support. This demand will increase as the technology matures. Unfortunately, a worker entering this field will find that most instructional books now available have not kept pace with this rapid growth. A typical book on electro-optics or photonics tends to concentrate quite heavily on theoretical optical physics with very little in the way of practical applications. The inherent electrical issues are usually left to reader to determine. Furthermore, many of these books use too much mathematical formalism and do not place enough emphasis on the basic principles. It is quite clear that a different approach is needed.

Since electro-optics involves the convergence of optics and electronics it must be presented using both disciplines in any technical discussion. I wrote Applied Electro-Optics to meet the needs of workers and students entering this new and exciting field. It is applications oriented with numerous real world examples and full solutions. Both optical and electrical design issues are seriously considered. Just the right balance of theory and application is used making this book appropriate for people with diverse backgrounds. It should be useful to college students, practicing engineers, scientists, or managers who have little or no knowledge of electro-optics. Anyone working in the field of electronics will find this book to be a valuable reference tool since most electronic devices now use optoelectronic components such as LEDs, diode lasers, photodiodes, or phototransistors. These are just a few of the components that are studied in detail along with their integration into useful circuits. In later chapters, practical circuit examples are given using manufacturers’ data sheets for the optoelectronic components specified. Electronic design issues such as optimization techniques, bandwidth requirements, component placement, shielding, and environmental concerns are discussed in detail. All technical discussions are presented using a back-to-basics approach while keeping the mathematics to a minimum.

The fact that electro-optical systems tend to be very complex should not hinder us from understanding their operation. A good grasp of how they operate can be obtained by first considering some basic things that they have in common. For example, the majority of receivers used in electro-optical systems rely upon only a few circuit techniques for converting the input optical signal into a useable electrical signal. This electrical signal then undergoes signal conditioning with the help of conventional electronics. My book discusses, in great detail, the most common circuit techniques used in this optical-to-electrical conversion. This feature allows the reader to successfully apply these techniques in similar designs. Unfortunately, it would be impossible to consider all of the electronic signal-conditioning circuits. But, many common electronic amplifier techniques are discussed in detail. A separate appendix is even included as a basic tutorial on the use of op-amps.

What does the future hold for electro-optics? Is this a worthwhile field of study on which to base a career? To answer these questions, we must first take a look at its track record. Let’s consider the laser. When Theodore H. Maiman developed the first laser in 1960 at Hughes Research Laboratory, it was considered to be an invention looking for an application. Since then, it has found its way into countless applications that have affected our lives in very positive ways. For example, at the check out line the old electro-mechanical cash register has been replaced with the bar code scanner. The analog telephone transmission network of the 1960s has been replaced with a digital network where fiber optic cable provides most of the terrestrial long-haul links. The record player has been replaced with the audio CD player to provide us with better sound quality due to its digital format. Research is currently being done to increase the storage capacity of optical disc media by using shorter wavelength lasers. Optical media has become very popular due to its superior storage capacity, quality, and the use of non-contact read/write heads. One thing is almost certain: the use of fiber optics will increase dramatically in the near future. The need for increased bandwidth will eventually result in an all-fiber network due to the limitations of copper-based technologies. Increased bandwidth will be needed for digital services such as personal computers with Internet access, and high definition television (HDTV). An all-fiber network can easily handle this increase in bandwidth with room to spare. Thus, as technology advances, the use of light will become increasingly important. A time will soon come when the importance of the electron will become overshadowed by that of the photon.

About the Author:

LOUIS DESMARAIS is a technical specialist with 17 years of experience evaluating, designing, and testing sensor devices for use in electro-optic designs.

About this edition

• Publisher: Pearson Technology Group
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0138027110
• ISBN 13: 9780138027117
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352