Efficient, high power, high gain, Er 3+ doped silica fibre amplifier

Results demonstrating that Er3+ doped silica fibres may be operated as very efficient, high gain power amplifiers in the 1.55μm region are presented. For a pump wavelength of 1.48μm amplified output of 140mW was obtained for 180mW pump power and 1 mW signal input at 1.55μm. Pumping with higher powers at 0.98μm allows in excess of 500 mW output to be obtained for the same input signal power.