Device and method for optical amplification

摘要

The present invention relates to a device for optical amplification, and a primary object of the present invention is to provide a method and device for optical amplification which can maintain the wavelength characteristic of gain constant and can obtain a wide input dynamic range. The device according to the present invention includes a first optical amplifying unit having a Raman amplifying medium (1) and a first pump source (3) for pumping the Raman amplifying medium, and a second optical amplifying unit (7) optically connected to a rear stage of the first optical amplifying unit. The second optical amplifying unit has an optical amplifying medium and second pump sources (5,8) for pumping the optical amplifying medium. The present invention is characterized by a control unit for controlling the gain of the first optical amplifying unit so that variations in output power of the first optical amplifying unit due to variations in input power of the first optical amplifying unit are canceled.