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Experiments and theory have rapidly progressed on nonlinear optical extreme waves, showing that guided wave nonlinear optics and fiber lasers provide a relatively simple, accessible and controllable test bed for the observations and accurate statistical studies of extreme wave phenomena that obey the same universal rules, which apply to a large ensemble of different physical systems. With introductory material to make the subject area accessible to non-specialists such as graduate and PhD students, and researchers working in other areas where extreme waves are relevant, this book features contributions by prominent scientists in this emerging field and is a comprehensive treatment of optical extreme wave research.

This book provides a comprehensive review of the state-of-the art of optical signal processing technologies and devices. It presents breakthrough solutions for enabling a pervasive use of optics in data communication and signal storage applications. It presents presents optical signal processing as solution to overcome the capacity crunch in communication networks. The book content ranges from the development of innovative materials and devices, such as graphene and slow light structures, to the use of nonlinear optics for secure quantum information processing and overcoming the classical Shannon limit on channel capacity and microwave signal processing.Although it holds the promise for a substantial speed improvement, today's communication infrastructure optics remains largely confined to the signal transport layer, as it lags behind electronics as far as signal processing is concerned. This situation will change in the near future as the tremendous growth of data traffic requires energy efficient and fully transparent all-optical networks. The book is written by leaders in the field.

1 2 V. E. Zakharov and S. Wabnitz 1 L. D. Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics, 2 Kosygin Str., 117334 Moscow, Russia 2 Laboratoire de Physique, University of Bourgogne, 9 avenue A. Savary, 21078 Dijon, France After about a quarter of a century since the first theoretical predictions of op­ tical solitons, the industrial application of the optical soliton concept is near to reality in the booming field of modern telecommunications, where the de­ mand for high-speed data transmission and routing is of ever-growing. This book contains a set of lectures that were presented at a Les Houches school on optical solitons in September 1998. The school was successful in gathering among the lecturers most of the well-recognized world leaders in the field of optical solitons. A variety of different aspects of research into optical solitons was exposed in the lectures, ranging from the mathematical fundations of integrability theory to the rapidly evolving technological advances of fiber soliton-based telecommu­ nication systems. The overall impression that the participants and the students received from the school is that this field of research is an excellent example of the rapid transfer that occurs nowadays from basic science to the technological implementations of the first principles. The subjects that were covered by the lectures can be broadly grouped into four main categories: optical soliton the­ ory, fiber soliton telecommunications, optical soliton generation methods, and all-optical information processing via spatial solitons.