Abstract: Optical waveguides are fabricated in glass-ceramic materials utilizing an ion-exchange process to pattern the waveguide at a temperature below the ceramming temperature of the glass-ceramic material. The optical waveguides may include optically-active dopants dispersed preferably within the crystallite phase of the glass-ceramic material.

Abstract: An optical fiber comprising a core having an outer region disposed about an inner region and an intensity profile having a highest intensity that is less than the highest intensity of a Gaussian intensity profile that is normalized to have the same power as the intensity profile. The outer region can comprise an index of refraction that is greater than an index of refraction comprised by the inner region. The outer region can comprise a first concentration of a selected rare earth and any concentration of the selected rare earth comprised by the inner region can be less than the selected concentration. The inner region can include first and second rare earths and the outer region can be photosensitive. A second cladding can be included. A fiber according to the invention can be birefringent and can include, for example, at least one longitudinally extending stress inducing region for creating birefringence.

Abstract: An optical amplifier comprises a trivalent thulium-doped optical fiber; a first pump light emitting device optically coupled to the fiber for generating a primary pump source at a first wavelength, and a second pump light emitting device optically coupled to the fiber for generating a secondary pump source at a second wavelength. In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the amplifier also includes a third (auxiliary) pump light emitting device optically coupled to the fiber for generating a third pump source at a third wavelength. Each of the amplification signals comprise at least one pre-selected wavelength. The first amplification signal has a wavelength pre-selected to provide a reduced noise figure for the amplifier. The second amplification signal has a wavelength pre-selected to increase the optical efficiency of the amplifier. The third amplification signal can have a wavelength pre-selected to populate the 3F4 energy level of the fiber, and to minimize depletion of the 3H6 ground state.

Abstract: An optical amplifier comprises a trivalent thulium-doped optical fiber; a first pump light emitting device optically coupled to the fiber for generating a primary pump source at a first wavelength, and a second pump light emitting device optically coupled to the fiber for generating a secondary pump source at a second wavelength. In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the amplifier also includes a third (auxiliary) pump light emitting device optically coupled to the fiber for generating a third pump source at a third wavelength. Each of the amplification signals comprise at least one pre-selected wavelength. The first amplification signal has a wavelength pre-selected to provide a reduced noise figure for the amplifier. The second amplification signal has a wavelength pre-selected to increase the optical efficiency of the amplifier. The third amplification signal can have a wavelength pre-selected to populate the 3F4 energy level of the fiber, and to minimize depletion of the 3H6 ground state.

Abstract: The dual wavelength pumping scheme controls the relative population of the termination state vis-a-vis the metastable state. Praseodymium doped chalcogenide glass and a variety of thulium doped glasses are described as examples. The relative pump powers or wavelengths may be adjusted to control the gain spectrum of the amplifier, making the amplifier useful in a variety of different optical systems including wavelength division multiplexed systems.