Abstract

Moderate-to-high power fiber amplifiers (0.1 to 1.0 W) are required in optical communications, fiber transmission, and processing of microwave signals, and remote sensing. Conventional 1.5-μm fiber amplifiers, pumped by 50-100 mW single-mode pigtailed laser diodes, are not well suited for many of these applications due to very high pump cost, particularly for saturation powers above 50 mW, when multiple diodes are required. One method of reducing the overall amplifier cost, while increasing output power, is through the use of low-cost diode-array pumps and -double-cladding fibers.^1-3

© 1996 Optical Society of America