Prediction of gain peak wavelength for Er-doped fiber amplifiers and amplifier chains

We present a simple rule for predicting the gain peak wavelength (GPW) of an Er-doped fiber amplifier. For a given fiber type, the GPW is determined solely by the operating gain per unit length. Using this rule coupled with a simple Er-doped fiber amplifier model and measured modeling parameters, the GPW is predicted for a particular Er-doped fiber. The result is verified by direct measurement in a fiberloop. We demonstrate that the gain peak does not vary with pump power, pump wavelength or signal power as long as the gain per unit fiber length is fixed. Extension of this theory to include the wavelength dependences of other components in an amplifier chain is also discussed and demonstrated.<>