Erbium Fiber Amplifiers is a comprehensive introduction to the increasingly important topic of optical amplification. Written by three Bell Labs pioneers, the book stresses the importance of the interrelation of materials properties, optical properties, and systems aspects of optical fiber amplifiers. All disc-based content for this title is now available on the Web. Key Features* Explains the theory of noise in optically amplified systems in an intuitive way* The book contains a discussion of components used in amplifier fabrication and of the attendant technologies used in real systems* The book provides basic tools for amplifier design as well as systems engineering, including the latest developments in WDM and soliton systems* The book discusses the fundamentals of rare earth ions for the reader desiring more depth in the topic* The book is for either the novice of experienced reader* The chapter have links between them to allow the reader to understand the relationship between the amplifier characteristics, noise, and systems applications* The book contains extensive references