| 摘要 |
An optical amplifier is described that can couple to and amplify optical signals along multiple fiber transmission paths. The optical amplifier includes a plurality of pump radiation sources, each pump radiation source adapted to produce radiation having a set of pump wavelengths and pump powers corresponding to the respective pump wavelengths, wherein at least one set is different from at least one other set. The optical amplifier also includes a plurality of pump radiation combiners, each pump radiation combiner coupling the radiation of a respective set of pump wavelengths of a respective source of the plurality of pump radiation sources and outputting the respective coupled radiation having coupled radiation profiles via a respective pump radiation combiner output. The optical amplifier also includes a coupler, such as a PxV coupler with P inputs and V outputs. The coupler is optically coupled to the outputs of the pump radiation combiners, receives the coupled radiation from the pump radiation combiners and outputs V pump radiation profiles to respective of V coupler outputs. The optical amplifier also includes V pump-signal combiners, each optically coupled to a respective coupler output of the V coupler outputs, which are adapted to couple an optical signal with the respective pump radiation profiles. In certain configurations, the optical amplifier may provide high pump source redundancy, increase gain profile flatness, and/or reduce the number of lasers per fiber.
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