Patent ID: 7038844

Claim:
An optical fiber amplifier, comprising: a length of silica optical fiber having a core doped with neodymium, a first cladding and a second cladding each with succeeding lower refractive indices, wherein said first cladding diameter is less than 10 times the diameter of said core, wherein the doping level of said neodymium within said optical fiber is chosen so that the small signal absorption for 816 nm light traveling within the core is less than 15 dB/m; means for providing an optical signal having a wavelength within the range from 930 nm to 950 nm; means for providing pump light having a wavelength within the range of 800 nm to 830 nm; means for optically coupling said optical signal into said core; and means for optically coupling said pump light into said first cladding of said optical fiber, wherein said optical signal is amplified to produce an amplified signal.