Patent ID: 8228598

Claim:
An optical amplifier, comprising: an optical circulator having at least a first port, a second port, and a third port, the optical circulator configured to direct optical wavelengths received at the first port to the second port, and configured to direct optical wavelengths received at the second port to the third port; a pump source coupled to the first port of the optical circulator and adapted to introduce at least one optical pump to the first port so that the at least one optical pump exits the optical circulator at the second port; a gain stage having an input and an output and comprising a series combination of a rare-earth-doped fiber amplifier and a Raman amplifier, the rare-earth-doped fiber amplifier being closer to the input of the gain stage, and the Raman amplifier being closer to the output of the gain stage, the output of the gain stage coupled to the second port of the optical circulator so as to receive the at least one optical pump where the at least one optical pump propagates from the output of the gain stage towards the input of the gain stage, wherein the gain stage is further configured to receive an optical signal having a plurality of optical signal wavelengths at the input of the gain stage, the optical signal propagating through the gain stage from the input of the gain stage to the output of the gain stage during which the optical signal is amplified by at least one optical pump prior to the optical signal entering the second port of the optical circulator; and a pump reflector coupled to the input of the gain stage so as to reflect one or more of the at least one optical pumps back into the gain stage where the one or more reflected optical pumps propagate through the gain stage from the input of the gain stage to the output of the gain stage during which the one or more reflected optical pumps further assist in amplification of the optical signal, wherein the pump reflector is coupled to the input of the gain stage in a manner that allows at least some of the plurality of optical signal wavelengths to pass into the input of the gain stage.