Abstract: An optical amplifier utilizes two or more doped fiber segments or portions to achieve a lower noise figure and a higher saturation power than would be possible using any one of the doped fiber segments. Each doped fiber portion may be considered to be a doped fiber optical amplifier, and has a different doping level than each of the other doped fiber portions. Each such doped fiber portion has distinct amplitude gain and noise characteristics relative to each of the other doped fiber potions. The two or more doped fiber portions are coupled to each other in series and most often in a predefined order based on their relative amplitude gain, noise and saturation power characteristics.