Patent ID: 7941019

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a first integral pump block having a sealed housing, and a signal input coupler configured to obtain signal light from a first signal waveguide, the first signal waveguide having a first diameter, a signal output coupler configured to direct the signal light into a second signal waveguide, the second signal waveguide having a second diameter that is larger than the first diameter, and a pump input coupler each attached to an enclosed portion of the housing, and a dichroic optical element inside the housing; wherein: a light path between the signal input coupler and the dichroic optical element includes a free-space path; a light path between the dichroic optical element and the signal output coupler includes a free-space path; the dichroic optical element is highly reflective for light of a signal wavelength and highly transmissive for light of a pump wavelength; the pump input coupler is optically coupled to direct pump light to the dichroic optical element, which is configured to direct the pump light into the signal input coupler in a counter-propagating direction relative to signal light; the signal input coupler is optically coupled to direct signal light from the first signal waveguide to the dichroic optical element, which is configured to direct the signal light through the signal output coupler and into the second signal waveguide; and wherein at least one coupler selected from the group consisting of the signal input coupler, the signal output coupler, and the pump input coupler is connectorized such that the at least one coupler includes a housing-side connector that is configured to connect to a fiber-side connector affixed to a respective fiber and such that the housing-side connector and the fiber-side connector are disconnectable and reconnectable without opening the housing.