3. Optical telecommunications

3.1 From electronics to optics

It's surprising to see how optics has contributed to the current boom in telecommunications, which until the 1960s was based solely on electronic systems. Gradually, metal cables were supplanted by optical fibers, which offer far greater potential for long distances and high data rates. Similarly, certain formerly electronic functions, such as amplification, have been replaced by optical systems. The progress made since the advent of optical fibers (around 1964-1970) has been enormous. This development has been driven by ever-increasing worldwide demand over the years, and today's achievements have only been possible thanks to :

• mastery of materials, which enabled us to move from glass with an absorption...