A METHOD OF AMPLIFYING AN OPTICAL SIGNAL, AN OPTICAL AMPLIFIER FOR PERFORMING THE METHOD, AND USE OF SUCH AN OPTICAL AMPLIFIER AS A SOURCE OF LIGHT

摘要

The invention relates to an optical amplifier for light signals, which amplifies signals at a certain wavelength and which consists for this purpose of an active optical waveguide (4) with simple geometry of the wave type the wave length of the signal, a pumping laser (2) for obtaining an inverted population between the energy levels used, and coupling devices for coupling light from the pumping laser and the light of signal in the active optical wave guide (4). The active optical waveguide is doped with transition metal ions or metals of the lanthanide or actinide groups. This doping takes place in a shaped area of ​​cylindrical shell (13) around the axis of symmetry of the waveguide (4), so that the reduction in the optical power originating from amplified spontaneous emission is greater than the reduction of the optical power from the amplified signal light.