Abstract: An erbium doped fiber amplifier has a shape of the gain spectrum which is independent of the operating conditions by using a gain medium with this property. The gain medium can be an erbium-doped fiber with a wavelength-independent gain swing over a range of wavelengths (especially a low Al.sup.3+ -content aluminogermanosilicate EDF). As an alternative, the gain medium can consist of at least two pieces of EDFs, so that changes of the shape of the gain spectra (induced by changes of the operating conditions) in the different types of EDFs effectively offset each other. Within an overlapping wavelength range, the gain spectrum can then be further modified in a power-independent way (i.e.--independent of operating conditions) so as to make the gain spectrum flat (i.e.