Example optical amplification apparatus and example signal amplification methods are provided. One example optical amplification apparatus is connected to an optical fiber. The optical amplification apparatus includes a first pump laser and a first gain medium. The first pump laser is configured to emit first pump light. The first gain medium is configured to receive the first pump light and first multi-channel optical signals from the optical fiber; and perform gain amplification on the first multi-channel optical signals based on the first pump light, where the first pump light overlaps each of the first multi-channel optical signals in the first gain medium.

A tunable narrow-linewidth single-frequency linear-polarization laser device comprising a heat sink, a pumping source packaged on the heat sink, a first and second collimating lenses, a laser back cavity mirror, a thermal optical tunable filter, a rare-earth-ion heavily-doped multicomponent glass optical fiber, a super-structure polarization-maintaining fiber grating, a polarization-maintaining optical isolator, a polarization-maintaining optical fiber, and a thermoelectric refrigerating machine. The laser device uses a short and straight single-frequency resonant cavity structure, the heavily-doped and high-gain characteristics of the multicomponent glass optical fiber, a frequency selection role and wavelength tuning function of the thermal optical tunable filter and the superstructure polarization-maintaining fiber grating, and combines a precision temperature adjustment technology, and by means of real-time adjustment of distribution of reflection wavelengths and transmission wavelengths, the laser device changes spectrum peak overlapping positions, so as to implement stable output of wide-tuning-range, extra-narrow-linewidth, high-extinction-ratio and high-output-power continuously tunable single-frequency linear-polarization laser.

A configuration is provided with a laser medium 1 of a refractive index nc that is an isotropic medium and includes an upper surface and a lower surface, where at least one of the upper surface and the lower surface is bonded with a cladding 2 having a refractive index satisfying a relationship of no<nc<ne or ne<nc<no. This allows selective output of only polarized light generated by a refractive index in the cladding 2 smaller than the refractive index nc at a desired wavelength (e.g. 1535 nm) which can be implemented by using the isotropic medium.

The invention relates to phosphate-based glasses suitable for use as a solid laser medium, doped with Er3+ and sensitized with Yb, in “eye-safe” applications. In particular, the invention relates to improving the physical properties of such phosphate-based laser glass composition, particularly with regards to strength of the glass structure and improved thermal shock resistance.

An active element added-optical fiber includes a core, having a radius d and including a first region and a second region, and a cladding that surrounds an outer peripheral surface of the core without a gap and propagates light in a few mode. The first region is a region from a central axis of the core to a radius ra and contains ytterbium as an active element. The second region is a region to the radius d that surrounds the first region without a gap and contains a plurality of dopants, one of which is germanium. The active element is not added to a region within the second region from a radius rc to the radius d. The germanium is not added to a region within the first region from the central axis to a radius rb, and a concentration of the germanium is highest among the plurality of dopants.

The passively q-switched diode end-pumped solid-state laser is used the gain medium made of Er:Yb doped crystal and the Q-switch made of Co.sup.2+:MgAl.sub.2O.sub.4 crystal. The optical elements are optimally designed for the resonator to achieve pulse energy in a range 0.5 mJ<E<2mJ with the pulse width in a range of 4 ns-15 ns. The resonator is appropriate to use in laser rangefinders, target designator, and other products in military and civilian applications.

According to an aspect of an embodiment, an optical amplification system may include a broadband pump source and an optical fiber doped with phosphorus. The broadband pump source may be configured to generate a pumping beam. The pumping beam may include a pumping wavelength range between 1330 nm and 1400 nm. The optical fiber may be configured to receive the pumping beam and an input optical signal. The input optical signal may include a first component that may correspond to a first wavelength range and a second component that may correspond to a second wavelength range. The pumping beam may cause Raman amplification to the first component and the pumping beam may cause Raman amplification to the second component. The amplification of the first component and the second component by the pumping beam may produce an amplified optical signal.

A planar waveguide amplifier includes a planar waveguide including a flat plate-like core; a first cladding provided on a first principal face of the core; and a second cladding provided on a second principal face of the core, and signal light and pumping light travel into the planar waveguide so that the signal light and the pumping light propagate inside the core in such a manner that optical paths of the signal light and the pumping light overlap each other, and in a zig-zag manner, and the core is an amplification medium containing a rare-earth element serving as an active ion of a three-level system, and absorbs the signal light on the basis of a reduction in intensity of the pumping light.

A laser device is provided that includes an element made of laser-active material and a cladding element bonded to the element so as to allow heat exchange by heat conduction between the cladding element and the element. The laser-active material emitting laser light when excited by pump light. The element being made of a glass. The cladding element being made of a material that exhibits an absorption coefficient for the pump light that is lower than a corresponding absorption coefficient of the glass. The element and cladding element being configured so that the pump light can be directed through the cladding element into the element and/or so that the pump light can be directed through the element into the cladding element.

A problem with a conventional waveguide type laser device is that in the case in which an isotropic laser medium is used for a core, linearly polarized light is not provided. A ridge waveguide laser device of the present disclosure includes: a substrate; a core joined to the substrate and having a laser medium, the core having a refractive index higher than that of the substrate; and a cladding joined to the core, constituting a ridge waveguide together with the core, and made from a birefringent material having ordinary and extraordinary refractive indices lower than the refractive index of the core, the ordinary and extraordinary refractive indices being different.