Progress in optoelectronics and activities of NTT Basic Research Laboratories

This article is a report on the 1992 Technical Lecture held on November 25, 1992 at NTT Musashino R&D Center. The first part reviews research on optoelectronics and optical transmission technologies carried out from 1967 to around 1985 by the author in NTT's Research Department. This research included advanced optical transmission systems of long-wavelength systems, analog systems, coherent systems, optical amplification, and related fibers and devices. The second part describes management policies in more recent basic research after NTT's privatization in 1985. The basic research was directed to cover more fundamental aspects of telecommunications and related areas using scientific approaches. The discussion in this part includes policies for research planning, cooperation with other organizations, training of scientists, publication of results, evaluation of research, and the transfer of results. The last part presents, recent research activities in the NTT Basic Research Laboratories in such areas as quantum optics and optical materials, semiconductor and other material physics, and human information and computer science.