Unified model for analysis of light amplification in rare-earth doped fibers

This paper discusses a unified method for modeling and simulating signal light amplification in rare-earth doped optical fiber amplifiers. The model accounts for gain saturation, spontaneous emission, dispersion, and nonlinear effects along the length of the distributed gain medium. Simulations based on the unified model are shown to compare favorably with experimental results. The new model can be used to provide guidance in the design and construction of a variety of fiber-based optical amplifiers. Furthermore, it is suitable for analyzing the performance of high-power amplifiers in a wide range of operating conditions. (C) 2014 Optical Society of America