Component technologies for future optical networks

Future optical networks will employ many component technologies including transmitters, modulators, amplifiers, wavelength converters, add-drop multiplexers and crossconnects to provide flexible data provision at low cost. Fibre dispersion and nonlinear optical crosstalk become increasingly important as the overall capacity is increased and they constrain all aspects of the transmission strategy. By addressing the emerging component technologies the author reviews the context within which future dilute nitride semiconductor devices must operate.