All-fiber few-mode erbium-doped fiber amplifier supporting six spatial modes

Abstract

Using the few-mode erbium-doped fiber (FM-EDF) with a simple two-layer erbium-doped structure, we demonstrate an all-fiber FM-EDF amplifier. The gain equalization among the six spatial modes supported by the FM-EDF is achieved when only the pump in the fundamental mode (LP01) is applied. When the signals in six spatial modes are simultaneously amplified, the average modal gain is about 15 dB, and differential modal gain is about 2.5 dB for the signal at 1550 nm.