Gain and noise in ytterbium-sensitized erbium-doped fiber amplifiers: measurements and simulations

The fiber gain and noise figure in erbium (Er)-ytterbium (Yb) codoped fiber amplifiers are experimentally studied and theoretically modeled. The different fiber parameters for the model are found in separate characterization measurements. The comparison between the measured and calculated data show excellent agreement. In addition, we demonstrate the design process for a specific cladding-pumped fiber to find the optimum fiber length.