Prof. Shtaif is a communications scientist who works in the field of fiber optics and optical communication systems, integrating optics, quantum theory, nonlinear systems, communications theory, information theory, and signal processing. Over the years, he has made contributions in the areas of optical amplification, analysis of nonlinear propagation, polarization-related phenomena, analysis of noise and signal detection, quantum information in fiber systems, and fundamental limits to optical communications.
In his most notable and most recent work, he contributed to the analysis of polarization-dependent loss in fiber communications; the nonlinear-noise model in fiber-optic transmission; the theory of space-division multiplexed communications; and to effective phase reconstruction by means of the Kramers-Kronig receiver.
Prof. Shtaif is a Fellow of the Optical Society of America and of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world’s largest technical professional organization.