The present invention concerns a waveguide amplifier and a waveguide amplifier device comprising it. In addition, the invention concerns a method for producing such waveguide amplifier. The invention especially relates to erbium doped waveguide amplifiers having a controlled doping concentration.

An active element-doped optical fiber includes: a core that includes first and second regions. The first region ranges from a central axis to a predetermined radius, and is doped with an active element excited by excitation light. The second region surrounds the first region with no gap, extends to an outer peripheral surface of the core, and is not doped with the active element. The core satisfies 0.1 d<ra<d, where ra is a radius of the first region and d is a radius of the core. The core has, in a region of 0.2 d<r≤0.9 d, a maximum value position at which a refractive index becomes maximum, where r is a distance from a central axis of the core in a radial direction.

An optical amplifier is provided in which adjacent ones of a plurality of cores each containing a rare-earth element and included in an amplifying multi-core optical fiber (MCF) serve as coupled cores at an amplifying wavelength, a connecting MCF is connected to the amplifying MCF, a pump light source is connected to the connecting MCF, and the pump light source pumps the rare-earth element in the amplifying MCF through the connecting MCF.

A photodarkening-resistant ytterbium-doped quartz optical fiber and a method for prpearing such a fiber are provided. Glass of a photodarkening-resistant ytterbium-doped quartz optical fiber core rod includes at least Yb.sub.2O.sub.3, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, P.sub.2O.sub.5, SiO.sub.2. The proportions of Yb.sub.2O.sub.3, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, and P.sub.2O.sub.5 in the entire substance are Yb.sub.2O.sub.3: 0.05-0.3 mol %, Al.sub.2O.sub.3: 1-3 mol %, and P.sub.2O.sub.5: 1-5 mol %, respectively. In the preparation method for the photodarkening-resistant ytterbium-doped quartz optical fiber, a sol-gel method and an improved chemical vapor deposition method are combined. By using the molecular-level doping uniformity and the low preparation loss thereof respectively, ytterbium ions, aluminum ions and phosphorus ions are effectively doped in a quartz matrix, thereby effectively solving the problems in the optical fiber of high loss, photodarkening caused by cluster or the like, and a central refractive index dip.

A photodarkening-resistant ytterbium-doped quartz optical fiber and a method for preparing such a fiber are provided. Glass of a photodarkening-resistant ytterbium-doped quartz optical fiber core rod includes at least Yb.sub.2O.sub.3, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, P.sub.2O.sub.5, SiO.sub.2. The proportions of Yb.sub.2O.sub.3, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, and P.sub.2O.sub.5 in the entire substance are Yb.sub.2O.sub.3: 0.05-0.3 mol %, Al.sub.2O.sub.3: 1-3 mol %, and P.sub.2O.sub.5: 1-5 mol %, respectively. In the preparation method for the photodarkening-resistant ytterbium-doped quartz optical fiber, a sol-gel method and an improved chemical vapor deposition method are combined. By using the molecular-level doping uniformity and the low preparation loss thereof respectively, ytterbium ions, aluminum ions and phosphorus ions are effectively doped in a quartz matrix, thereby effectively solving the problems in the optical fiber of high loss, photodarkening caused by cluster or the like, and a central refractive index dip.

An optical amplifier is provided in which adjacent ones of a plurality of cores each containing a rare-earth element and included in an amplifying multi-core optical fiber (MCF) serve as coupled cores at an amplifying wavelength, a connecting MCF is connected to the amplifying MCF, a pump light source is connected to the connecting MCF, and the pump light source pumps the rare-earth element in the amplifying MCF through the connecting MCF.

The disclosure relates to method and apparatus for micro-contact printing of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) in a solvent-free environment. The disclosed embodiments enable forming a composite membrane over a parylene layer and transferring the composite structure to a receiving structure to form one or more microcavities covered by the composite membrane. The parylene film may have a thickness in the range of about 100 nm-2 microns; 100 nm-1 micron, 200-300 nm, 300-500 nm, 500 nm to 1 micron and 1-30 microns. Next, one or more secondary layers are formed over the parylene to create a composite membrane. The composite membrane may have a thickness of about 100 nm to 700 nm to several microns. The composite membrane's deflection in response to external forces can be measured to provide a contact-less detector. Conversely, the composite membrane may be actuated using an external bias to cause deflection commensurate with the applied bias. Applications of the disclosed embodiments include tunable lasers, microphones, microspeakers, remotely-activated contact-less pressure sensors and the like.

A fiber amplifier that is particularly configured to provide gain across a large extent of the C-band spectral range (i.e., a gain bandwidth of at least 42 nm, preferably within the range of 46-48 nm) utilizes a specially-designed discrete Raman amplifier in combination with a high inversion level EDFA to extend the gain bandwidth of a conventional EDFA C-band optical amplifier, while maintaining the gain ripple below an acceptable value. The EDFA provides operation at a highly-inverted level and the specialized discrete Raman amplifier (sDRA) element has particular parameters (dispersion, length, effective area) selected to maintain operation within a small gain regime while also extending the long wavelength edge of the gain bandwidth and reducing the gain ripple attributed to the EDFA component.

High power lasers and high power laser systems that provide high power laser beams having preselected wavelengths and characteristics to optimize or enhance laser beam performance in predetermined environments, conditions and use requirements. In particular, lasers, methods and systems that relate to, among other things, Raman lasers, up conversion lasers, wavelength conversion laser systems, and multi-laser systems that are configured to match and create specific and predetermined wavelengths at specific points along an optical path having varying requirements along that path.