1.2 dB/cm gain in erbium:lutecium co-doped Al/P silica fibre

The authors report a peak gain of 1.2 dB/cm at 1535 nm in an erbium:lutecium codoped Al/P/Si fibre fabricated using a standard MCVD and solution doping technique. This is the highest gain per unit length ever reported for an erbium doped fibre amplifier. The incorporation of lutecium into the glass is shown to reduce the erbium ion clustering within the fibre