Abstract: An optical fiber for optical amplification used for 1.58 &mgr;m band signal light amplification, at least a core region thereof being doped with Er has a core region at least a part thereof made of silica glass co-doped with Ge and Al together with Er, and Er average atomic concentration in the core region is from 1000 wt-ppm to 3000 wt-ppm inclusive, and cutoff wavelength is from 1.3 &mgr;m to 1.5 &mgr;m inclusive.

Abstract: An optical fiber is for optical amplification used for 1.58 &mgr;m band signal light amplification, at least a core region thereof being doped with Er. At least a part of the core region is made of silica glass co-doped with Ge and Al together with Er. The Er average atomic concentration in the core region is from 1500 wt-ppm to 3000 wt-ppm inclusive, and cutoff wavelength is from 0.8 &mgr;m to 1.1 &mgr;m inclusive.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an optical amplifier reduced in gain deviation. The optical amplifier includes a nonsilica fiber doped with a rare earth, and a fiber holder in which the nonsilica fiber is inserted and fixed. The fiber holder is optically arranged so that signal light to be amplified propagates in the nonsilica fiber. The nonsilica fiber is pumped so that the nonsilica fiber provides a gain band including the wavelength of the signal light. Opposite ends of the fiber holder are hermetically sealed to thereby easily cut off the nonsilica fiber from the outside air, so that the nonsilica fiber is stabilized physically or chemically. A fluoride glass fiber is suitable for the nonsilica fiber to reduce the gain deviation in a 1.55 &mgr;m band.

Abstract: An ultra-wide bandwidth optical amplifier for the 1.5 &mgr;m optical band divides the 1520 nm-1610 nm bandwidth into three narrow bandwidths, i.e. C1 (1520 nm-1541 nm), C2 (1541 nm-1565 nm) and L (1565 nm-1610 nm), and uses three separate erbium doped fiber amplifier blocks, configured in parallel relation and individually optimized to separately amplify the respective bandwidth. Multipath interference is controlled by constructing all three amplifier blocks with the same optical transmission length. The C1 and C2 band amplifier blocks, which include shorter erbium doped fibers than the L band amplifier block, are physically lengthened using lengths of single mode fiber so that the total length of the optical transmission path of each amplifier block is generally equal. Fiber lengths are controlled to within 500 microns.

Abstract: Single- or few-moded waveguiding cladding-pumped lasers, superfluorescent sources, and amplifiers, as well as lasers, including those for high-energy pulses, are disclosed, in which the interaction between the waveguided light and a gain medium is substantially reduced. This leads to decreased losses of guided desired light as well as to decreased losses through emission of undesired light, compared to devices of the prior art. Furthermore, cross-talk and inter-symbol interference in semiconductor amplifiers can be reduced. We also disclose devices with a predetermined saturation power. As a preferred embodiment of the invention, we disclose a single (transverse) mode optical fiber laser or amplifier in which the active medium (providing gain or saturable absorption) is shaped as a ring, situated in a region of the fiber' cross-section where the intensity of the signal light is substantially reduced compared to its peak value. The fiber can be cladding-pumped.