Optical Technology

One of the most interesting developments in telecommunication is the rapid progress of optical communication where optical fibers (волокна) are replacing (to replace - заменять) conventional (традиционный) telephone wires (провода) and cables. Just as (точно так же как …) digital (цифровой) technologies greatly (значительно) improved (to improve – улучшать, усовершенствовать, повышать (качество, эффективность)) the telephone system, optical communication promises (to promise – обещать, сулить; предвещать) a considerable (значительный, существенный) increase (увеличение, рост) in capacity (производительность), quality, performance (эффективность) and reliability (надежность) of the global telecommunication network (сеть). New technologies such as optical fibers will increase the speed of telecommunication and provide (зд.: создавать) new, specialized in-information service. Voice, computer data, even video images (image - изображение), will be increasingly (все в большей степени (объеме, мере)) integrated into a single (единый) digital communication network capable to process (обрабатывать) and transmitting virtually (фактически, по существу) any kind of information.

It is a result of combining two technologies: the laser, first (впервые) demonstrated in 1960, and the fabrication 10 years later of ultra-thin silicon (кремний) fibres which can serve as lightwave (световод, оптический волновод) conductors (проводники). With the further development of very efficient lasers plus continually improved (совершенствуемые) techniques (методы, способы) to produce thin silica (= silicon) fibres of incredible (зд.: сверхвысокий) transparency (прозрачность), optical systems can transmit pulses of light (световые импульсы) as far as (не менее чем) 135 kilometers without the need for amplification (усиление) or regeneration.

At present high-capacity optical transmission systems are being installed between many major US cities at a rapid rate (быстрыми темпами). The system most widely used now operates at 147 megabits (thousand bits) per second and accommodates (вмещает) 6,000 circuits ((микро)схема) over (на) a single pair of glass fibres (one for each direction of transmission). This system will soon be improved to operate at 1.7 gigabits (thousand million bits) per second and handle (обрабатывать; обслуживать) 24,000 telephone channels simultaneously.

A revolution in information storage (хранение, сохранение; [ЗУ]) is underway (происходит революция (революционные изменения)) with optical disk technology (с появлением оптических дисков).

The first digital optical disks were produced in 1982 as compact disks for music. They were further developed as a storage medium (носитель (среда) для хранения информации) for computers. The disks are made of plastics coated (с покрытием) with (зд.: из) aluminium. The information is recorded by using a powerful (мощный) laser to imprint (отпечатывать) bubbles (bubble – цилиндрический магнитный домен – (участок с собственной (независимой) полярностью)) on the surface of the disk. A less powerful laser reads back (считывает только что записанную инфомацию) the pictures (изображения), sound or information. An optical disk is almost indestructible (почти не подвержен разрушению) and can store (хранить, сохранять) about 1000 times more information than a plastic disk of the same size (той же емкости).

Besides, it is reported (to report – сообщать) that an optical equivalent of a transistor has been produced and intensive research on optical electronic computers is underway (проводится, ведется) at a number of US companies as well as in countries around the (по всему) world.

It is found that optical technology is cost-effective (экономически выгодный, экономичный) and versatile (универсальный, многоцелевой). It finds new applications every day — from connecting (to connect – соединять, подключать) communication equipment or computers within the same building or room to long-distance transcontinental, transoceanic and space communications.