Patent ID: 7336415

Claim:
An optical amplification module for collectively amplifying signal light having multiplexed a plurality of channels in a single wavelength band including a wavelength region having a wavelength of 1610 nm or longer, said optical amplification module comprising: a Bi oxide based optical waveguide, comprised of Bi oxide based host glass, including an optical waveguide region doped with Er element, for propagating the signal light; a pumping light supply system for supplying the optical waveguide region with pumping light so as to generate a population inversion within the optical waveguide region of said Bi oxide based optical waveguide; and a control unit for adjusting an optical power of the pumping light supplied from said pumping light supply system to said Bi oxide based optical waveguide so as to yield a relative gain non-uniformity of less than 25% in a net gain spectrum of said Bi oxide based optical waveguide at a predetermined operating temperature within an operating temperature range of said optical amplification module.