This handbook is an authoritative, comprehensive reference on optical networks, the backbone of today's communication and information society. The book reviews the many underlying technologies that enable the global optical communications infrastructure, but also explains current research trends targeted towards continued capacity scaling and enhanced networking flexibility in support of an unabated traffic growth fueled by ever-emerging new applications.

The book is divided into four parts: Optical Subsystems for Transmission and Switching, Core Networks, Datacenter and Super-Computer Networking, and Optical Access and Wireless Networks.

Each chapter is written by world-renown experts that represent academia, industry, and international government and regulatory agencies. Every chapter provides a complete picture of its field, from entry-level information to a snapshot of the respective state-of-the-art technologies to emerging research trends, providing something useful for the novice who wants to get familiar with the field to the expert who wants to get a concise view of future trends.