OPTICAL FIBRE CONTAINING ADDITIVES, CAPABLE OF LASER EMISSION AND AN OPTICAL AMPLIFIER FOR OPTICAL TELECOMMUNICATION LINKS

摘要

The present invention relates to an optical amplifier, in particular for optical fiber telecommunication lines, operating with a transmission signal in a predetermined wavelength range, which amplifier comprises laser emitting active optical fiber doped with erbium, said fiber contains a further doping substance, distributed along the fiber, said doping substance shows an absorption, for a light having a wavelength lower than 1,540 nm, substantially higher than the absorption that the further doping substance shows for a light having a wavelength varying from 1,540 nm to the superior limit of the predetermined wavelength range of the transmission signal; preferably the further doping substance is samarium. Samarium contained in the fiber is capable of absorbing the spontaneous erbium emission, which would constitute a noise source, allowing a signal to be amplified in a wavelength range substantially corresponding to the tolerance range of the commercially available signal laser emitters.