Importance

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Abstract

An array of optical amplifiers that recycles the unused pump power of some or all constituent amplifiers thereof, thereby beneficially improving pump-power utilization therein compared to that of conventional optical amplifiers. In an example embodiment, different amplifiers of the array can be configured to receive approximately equal pump power and be used to independently amplify different respective optical signals. In various embodiments, the unused pump power can be recycled using one or more optical couplers and/or optical paths that appropriately interconnect different amplifiers of the array. Some embodiments have one or more optical loops configured to operate as a ring laser that regenerates pump light in response to the unused pump power being coupled thereto. Some embodiments provide a spectral gain profile suitable for amplifying WDM signals in at least some of the constituent amplifiers of the array.

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First Claim