Method and system for recycling pump power in an erbium doped fiber amplifier

摘要

A WDM device separates an information signal and a pump power signal, each having a different wavelength from the other, from a combined signal after the information signal has been amplified by a first fiber amplifier stage. The pump power signal is isolated so that is does not co-propagate with the information signal to another fiber amplifier stage, or from an output of the amplifier assembly. The isolated pump power signal is routed to another WDM device that combines this recycled pump power signal and the information signal provided from the first stage. The recycled pump power is used to stimulate dopant of the next stage fiber amplifier to cause amplification of the information signal above the level provided by the first stage.