OPTICAL AMPLIFIER, METHOD FOR CONTROLLING EXCITATION LIGHT SOURCE IN OPTICAL AMPLIFIER, AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE OPTICAL AMPLIFIER

摘要

In an optical amplifier for use in, for example, a wavelength multiplexing optical communication system, in order to allow an excitation light source to be enlargeable or removable in accordance with an increase/decrease in the number of channels in signal light even if the optical communication system is in operation, there are included an optical amplifying section (2) for amplifying and outputting inputted signal light, a plurality of excitation light sources (3, 4) and an excitation light source control section (5) for controlling operations of the excitation light sources (3, 4), wherein the excitation light sources are composed of a main excitation light source (3) and an auxiliary excitation light source (4), and the excitation light source control section (5) is equipped with a control section (7) which, when the number of channels in the inputted signal light is equal to or less than a predetermined number of channels, executes control whereby the main excitation light source (3) supplies excitation light and which executes control whereby the main excitation light source (3) and the auxiliary excitation light source (4) cooperatively supply excitation light when the number of channels in the signal light is more than the predetermined number of channels.