Foreword to the Special Issue on Optical Guided Wave Technology

This Special Issue of the Journal of Quantum Electronics is the third in a series dedicated to optical guided wave technologies. The first two Special Issues were published in June 1981 and April 1982. The purpose of these three issues was to present the readership with an accurate snapshot of the technology, to illustrate the state-of-the-art and the research trends, and to provide a survey for the IEEE and the Optical Society as to the extent of activity in this field. The continued growth both of R&D and applications of guided wave technology has been made apparent by the responses these special issues. As a consequence of this survey and as result of the expressed interest of the memberships of the IEEE and the Optical Society, a new journal which is entitled, Journal of Lightwave Technology has been established. It is planned that this journal becomes the principal vehicle for the publication of works in guided wave related technologies. During the calendar year 1983, quarterly issues are planned, growing to at least bimonthly issues in 1984. Applications well as technological developments are expected to be covered in this new journal.