Integrated line amplifier

Abstract

The invention relates to an integrated line amplifier. In some embodiments, a multi-core fiber amplifier includes a set of cores, where the set of cores is disposed within a multi-core fiber; a multi-mode pump laser coupled to the multi-core optical fiber, where the multi-mode pump laser is configured to provide gain on the cores of the multi-core optical fiber; and a set of out-of-band signal sources coupled to the multi-core optical fiber, where each signal source in the set of out-of-band signal sources is coupled to a corresponding core of the multi-core optical fiber, and wherein the signal sources of the set of out-of-band signal sources are configured to limit gains provided by the multimode pump laser on corresponding cores of the multi-core fiber.

Description

[0001] Cross Reference to Related Applications

[0002] This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 687,957, filed August 28, 2024, entitled “Gain Control Integrated Line Amplifier.” The disclosure of the prior application is considered part of this patent application and is incorporated by reference into this patent application. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to amplifiers and integrated line amplifiers for multi-track systems. BACKGROUND

[0004] Optical amplifiers can be used for various optical applications. For example, optical amplifiers can be used to amplify optical signals for sensing applications, communication applications, medical technology applications, or manufacturing applications, among others. Multi-core optical fibers (MCFs) can be used to increase the capacity of optical systems, such as for communication applications. Multi-core erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (MC-EDFAs) can be used to provide amplification for multi-core fiber operation, enabling high-capacity communication over long distances. SUMMARY

[0005] In some implementations, an integrated line amplifier includes a first set of multi-core fiber amplifiers of a first type, each set comprising a set of cores in a multi-core fiber, a multimode pump laser coupled to the multi-core fiber, and a set of out-of-band signal sources coupled to the multi-core fiber; a second set of fiber amplifiers of a second type; and a set of dynamic gain equalizers (DGEs), wherein the integrated line amplifier includes a set of optical paths associated with a set of directions, and wherein an optical path of the set of optical paths includes a first fiber amplifier of the first set of multi-core fiber amplifiers coupled to an input of a second fiber amplifier of the second set of fiber amplifiers coupled to an input of a DGE of the set of DGEs coupled to an input of a third fiber amplifier of the second set of fiber amplifiers coupled to an input of a fourth fiber amplifier of the first set of multi-core fiber amplifiers.

[0006] In some embodiments, the multi-core fiber amplifier includes a core assembly arranged within a multi-core fiber; a multimode pump laser coupled to the multi-core fiber, wherein the multimode pump laser is configured to provide gain on the cores of the multi-core fiber; and an out-of-band signal source assembly coupled to the multi-core fiber, wherein each signal source in the out-of-band signal source assembly is coupled to a corresponding core of the multi-core fiber, and wherein the signal sources in the out-of-band signal source assembly are configured to limit the gain provided by the multimode pump laser on the corresponding core of the multi-core fiber.

[0007] In some embodiments, the integrated line amplifier includes a first fiber amplifier set, wherein the first fiber amplifier set is a first type of fiber amplifier, wherein each fiber amplifier in the first fiber amplifier set includes a core set arranged within a multi-core fiber, wherein the integrated line amplifier is arranged in an east-west pattern with respect to the multi-core fiber; a multimode pump laser coupled to the multi-core fiber; an out-of-band signal source set coupled to the multi-core fiber; and a second fiber amplifier set, wherein the second fiber amplifier set is a second type of fiber amplifier. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an example implementation associated with an optical fiber amplifier.

[0009] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an example implementation associated with a multi-core optical fiber.

[0010] Figure 3A and Figure 3B This is a schematic diagram of an example implementation associated with an integrated line amplifier.

[0011] Figure 4A and Figure 4B This is a schematic diagram of an example implementation associated with an integrated line amplifier. Detailed Implementation

[0012] The following detailed description of exemplary embodiments is with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements.

[0013] Optical amplifiers can be included in optical systems to amplify optical signals, such as light beams. For example, in optical communication systems, an optical amplifier can provide gain to an optical beam, enabling detection of the beam (and decoding of the information transmitted on it) over long distances. A doped fiber amplifier (DFA) is an optical amplifier in which doped optical fibers serve as the gain medium for amplifying optical signals. In this case, the optical device may include a pump laser and a signal source, which are combined within the doped fiber. When a first optical beam from the pump laser interacts with a second beam from the signal source, the pump laser amplifies the signal source. An example of a doped fiber amplifier is an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA). EDFAs are chosen because the wavelength range of the amplification window of an EDFA overlaps with the wavelength range of the transmission window of a silica fiber.

[0014] As the capacity of optical communication systems increases, some systems can utilize multi-track configurations. In a multi-track configuration, multiple parallel fiber pairs can be arranged to provide communication paths for multiple optical beams. EDFA assemblies can be provided in such optical communication systems to provide amplification for multiple fibers in the multi-track configuration. However, such amplification arrangements can be inefficient, resulting in high power utilization to provide amplification across multiple fibers. Furthermore, amplification can be cross-dependent on different fibers. In other words, when an EDFA assembly is used to provide amplification in a multi-track configuration, amplification in the first fiber can depend on amplification in the second fiber. This can lead to poor deployment flexibility and / or communication performance. Moreover, with increasing fiber density, fiber amplification can cause excessive crosstalk between fibers, which can result in excessive error rates, dropped communication, and / or poor performance.

[0015] Some embodiments described herein provide an integrated line amplifier for multi-track optical systems. For example, some embodiments described herein use multi-core erbium-doped ytterbium fiber (MC-EYbDF) to provide amplification for multiple optical fibers in an optical communication system. In this way, the integrated line amplifier can provide independent gain control to each track (e.g., each fiber) of the multi-track system. In some embodiments, the integrated line amplifier may include a first type of cladding-pumped multi-core active fiber amplifier, such as an MC-EYbDF amplifier, and a second type of multi-core fiber amplifier, such as an EDFA. In this way, by including multiple types of amplifiers in the integrated line amplifier, the integrated line amplifier can achieve higher efficiency than other configurations. In some embodiments, the integrated line amplifier may include a channel set arranged to achieve east-west separability, as described in more detail herein. In this way, the integrated line amplifier can provide additional deployment flexibility.

[0016] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of an example amplifier 100 within an integrated circuit amplifier. (See diagram below.) Figure 1 As shown, amplifier 100 includes multi-core optical fiber 105, an assembly of optical elements 110 (e.g., first optical element 110-1 and second optical element 110-2), multimode pump 115, an assembly of out-of-band (OOB) signal sources 120 (e.g., first OOB signal source 120-1 and second OOB signal source 120-2), an assembly of semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) splitter components 125 (e.g., first SOA splitter component 125-1 and second SOA splitter component 125-2), an optical fiber input assembly, an optical fiber output (FIFO) assembly 130 (e.g., first FIFO assembly 130-1 and second FIFO assembly 130-2), and a reflector 135.

[0017] In some embodiments, the multi-core optical fiber 105 may include an assembly of fiber cores. For example, the multi-core optical fiber 105 may include multiple fiber cores arranged in a linear arrangement, a circular arrangement, or another type of arrangement. Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an example embodiment 200 of the multi-core optical fiber 105 is illustrated. Figure 2 As shown, the multi-core optical fiber 105 includes an outer cladding 210 and an assembly of cores 220. Some cores 220 can be assigned to different directions, which may be referred to as the "east" direction or the "west" direction. In some embodiments, the cores 220 can be arranged in an alternating pattern, such that adjacent cores have alternating directions, which can reduce crosstalk compared to adjacent cores 220 having the same direction. In some embodiments, the cores 220 can be arranged in a specific configuration, such as a circular arrangement, as shown. Additionally or alternatively, the cores 220 can be arranged in a linear configuration.

[0018] In some embodiments, optical element 110 may include a combiner or splitter. For example, a set of combiners or splitters can combine or separate one or more beams. In this case, the set of combiners or splitters may include free-space optics (FSO), lenses, mirrors, filters, gratings, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices, or another type of component. In a first direction, optical element 110-1 can receive in-band signals (e.g., from FIFO component 130-1) and pump signals, and direct the in-band signals and bulge signals to multi-core fiber 105. By combining the pump signals and in-band signals, amplifier 100 can provide gain to the in-band signals.

[0019] In some implementations, the multimode pump 115 can be a signal source (e.g., a laser) associated with providing a pump signal. For example, the multimode pump 115 can provide a set of pump signals to the cores of the multi-core fiber 105. The pump signal can be directed to the cores of the multi-core fiber 105 via an optical element 110-1, which can combine the set of pump signals into a set of corresponding in-band signals directed via the respective cores.

[0020] In some implementations, the OOB signal source 120 and SOA splitter assembly 125 may be associated with providing an adjustable per-core gain clamping signal. For example, the OOB signal source 120 may include a signal laser that provides the OOB signal to the SOA splitter assembly 125. The OOB signal may be configured on a per-core basis. For example, amplifier 100 (or an EDFA amplifier associated with it) may adjust the amount of gain provided on each core of the multi-core fiber 105. The adjustable per-core gain clamping signal may clamp (or limit) the amount of gain that may be provided on a core to a configured threshold level. The SOA splitter assembly 125 may include one or more electro-optical components, such as a splitter, an SOA, or another optical component. For example, in a 4-track configuration, the SOA splitter assembly 125 may include a 1×4 splitter to separate the OOB signal from the OOB signal source 120. Additionally or alternatively, the SOA splitter assembly 125 may include an SOA set. For example, in a 4-rail configuration, the SOA splitter assembly 125 may include four independently controllable SOAs to adjust the gain of each output of the 1×4 splitter. In this example, the four independently controllable SOAs are coupled to corresponding core sets of multi-core optical fibers. Although some aspects are described according to the 4-rail configuration, an alternative n-rail configuration can be used, which can result in different types of splitters, such as 1×5 splitters, 1×8 splitters, or 1×16 splitters. In some implementations, the SOA splitter assembly 125 may include multiple splitters, such as multiple cascaded 1×2 splitters implementing a 1×4 split.

[0021] In some implementations, the FIFO assembly 130 may include a set of optical inputs and / or outputs associated with amplifier 100. For example, FIFO assembly 130-1 may receive an input signal (e.g., an in-band signal) and provide the input signal to multi-core fiber 105 for amplification. Similarly, FIFO assembly 130-2 may receive an output signal (e.g., an amplified and gain-controlled signal) from multi-core fiber 105 and provide that output signal as an output. In other words, multi-core fiber 105 may receive an adjustable per-core gain clamping signal from OOB signal source 120-1 and SOA splitter assembly 125-1 in a first direction, which can provide gain control for multi-core fiber 105. Multi-core fiber 105 may output an in-band signal in the first direction, which has been amplified and gain-controlled as a result of the combination of a pump signal and the adjustable per-core gain clamping signal.

[0022] In some implementations, the reflector 135 is associated with the recovery of excess pump power. For example, given the relatively low pump power absorption of the multi-core fiber 105 (e.g., the relatively low absorption of MC-EYbDF), some pump signals may not be combined into the in-band signal. Therefore, the reflector 135 can reflect some of the wasted pump signal back to the second direction to reuse some of the wasted pump signal to amplify the in-band signal in the second direction. In this way, the amplifier 100 eliminates or reduces the need for multimode pumping associated with the second direction.

[0023] In some implementations, segments of the multi-core fiber 105 may have similar gain values. For example, segments of the multi-core fiber 105 may be configured with gain values ​​within a threshold amount, such as differing from each other by approximately 10%. In this case, based on segments of the multi-core fiber 105 with similar gain values, an integrated line amplifier including amplifier 100 can be deployed as an east-west separable optical system. The east-west separable optical system may include an optical system that can operate as two independent blocks in an east-west mode. Here, the first segment of the integrated line amplifier may correspond to the east direction in the east-west mode (e.g., where the signal passes through). Figure 1 The multi-core fiber 105 is guided from left to right. Alternatively or additionally, the second section of the integrated line amplifier can correspond to the west direction in an east-west pattern (e.g., the signal passes through...). Figure 1The multi-core fiber 105 is guided from right to left. Alternatively, when the gain values ​​are dissimilar, the integrated line amplifier may not be deployed as an east-west separable optical system. In this case, amplifier 100 (e.g., EYbDFA) can be used to generate all the gain within the integrated line amplifier. For example, in a 4-rail configuration, as shown, a single amplifier 100 can be used to provide gain to each core of the 16-core EYbDF multi-core fiber 105. By using a single amplifier 100, additional power consumption reduction can be achieved compared to a configuration using multiple amplifiers 100.

[0024] As indicated above, Figure 1 and Figure 2 Provided as an example. Other examples may differ from those provided. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As described.

[0025] Figure 3A and Figure 3B This is a schematic diagram of an example integrated line amplifier 300 / 300' associated with an integrated line amplifier. Figure 4A and Figure 4B This is a schematic diagram relating to the operation of integrated line amplifiers 300 / 300'. Integrated line amplifier 300 illustrates the set of optical paths for an n-track configuration. Similarly, integrated line amplifier 300' illustrates the branches of amplifiers and optical paths associated with individual gain control in a 4-track configuration.

[0026] like Figure 3A As shown, the integrated line amplifier 300 includes a first optical path 302-1 associated with a first direction and a second optical path 302-2 associated with a second direction. In some embodiments, the optical path 302 is associated with a corresponding set of fiber cores of a multi-core fiber. For example, as described above, adjacent cores of an MC-EYbDF can be configured to transmit flow in opposite directions, thereby reducing crosstalk between cores. In some embodiments, the first optical path 302-1 includes an optical path pointing to fiber amplifiers 304-1, 306-1, DGE 308-1, 306-2, and 304-2. In some embodiments, the second optical path 302-2 includes an optical path pointing to fiber amplifiers 304-3, 306-3, DGE 308-2, 306-4, and 304-4.

[0027] like Figure 3BAs shown, the integrated line amplifier 300' includes a first set of optical paths 350-1 associated with a first direction and a second set of optical paths 350-2 associated with a second direction. In some embodiments, the first set of optical paths 350-1 includes an optical path set pointing to fiber amplifier 352-1, an optical amplifier set 354-1, a DGE set 356-1, an optical amplifier set 354-2, and an optical amplifier 352-2. Similarly, the second set of optical paths 350-2 includes an optical path set pointing to fiber amplifier 352-3, an optical amplifier set 354-3, a DGE set 356-2, an optical amplifier set 354-4, and an optical amplifier 352-4.

[0028] In some embodiments, the DGE 308 / 356 provides spectral control functionality. For example, by providing the DGE 308 / 356 between the fiber amplifiers 306 / 354, the integrated line amplifiers 300 / 300' can achieve fast spectral control (e.g., at rates greater than the megahertz (MHz) range), thereby enhancing gain control. In some embodiments, the DGE 308 / 356 may include grating optical valves to achieve fast spectral control and / or signal correction. In some embodiments, the integrated line amplifiers 300 / 300' may include another type of electro-optical component to perform spectral control or signal correction functionality. For example, the integrated line amplifiers 300 / 300' may include a variable optical attenuator.

[0029] In some implementations, the integrated line amplifier (e.g., integrated line amplifier 300 / 300') may include multiple types of optical fibers associated with multiple types of optical fiber amplifiers. For example, optical fiber amplifier 304 / 352 may include an MC-EYbDF assembly (e.g., a first type of optical fiber, which may be a multi-core optical fiber) associated with an MC-EYbDFA assembly (e.g., a first type of optical fiber, which may be a multi-core optical fiber). Additionally or alternatively, optical fiber amplifier 306 / 354 may include an EDFA assembly (or MC-EDFA) (e.g., a second type of optical fiber, which may be a single-core optical fiber) associated with an EDF assembly (or multi-core (MC)EDF (MC-EDF)) (e.g., a second type of optical fiber, which may be a single-core optical fiber).

[0030] In some implementations, the first type of fiber amplifier is associated with a limited, adjustable gain. For example, as described above, an out-of-band signal can be added to the signal of the first type of amplifier to limit the available gain. In this case, the integrated line amplifier can perform gain control by gain clamping the signal. For example, an out-of-band laser (e.g., a signal laser that is separated and amplified using an SOA splitter assembly) provides an out-of-band signal with a first power level, and the out-of-band signal is coupled to an in-band signal at a second power level. In this case, as... Figure 4A As shown in schematic 400, the second power level is lower than the first power level. Therefore, the out-of-band signal saturates the output power of the first type of fiber amplifier, thus limiting the amount of gain available for the in-band signal. The output of the first type of fiber amplifier is individually adjustable at the second type of fiber amplifier. In this case, by providing multiple types of fiber amplifiers in stages, the first type of fiber amplifier can provide a relatively large proportion of gain, and the second type of amplifier can provide a relatively small proportion of gain. In this case, by providing a single pump laser for the first type of fiber amplifier (and a separate pump laser for the second type of fiber amplifier), the power consumption of the integrated line amplifier 300 / 300' can be reduced (e.g., compared to a line amplifier with only the second type of fiber amplifier). In other words, as... Figure 4B As shown in Schematic 450, when the number of tracks (e.g., cores) is greater than 5, using MC-EYbDF multimode pumping for a Type I fiber amplifier results in a reduction in the pump power used (relative to multiple single-mode 950 mW pumps). Therefore, some integrated amplifiers 300 / 300' can be used with 5 or more cores, such as with 8 or 16 fiber cores within their MC-EYbDFA. In other examples, fewer cores can be used, such as 4 or 2 fiber cores.

[0031] In some implementations, only the second type of fiber amplifier provides gain control. For example, the core of the first type of fiber amplifier may be non-adjustable (e.g., the first type of fiber amplifier may be configured to have the same gain across all cores), resulting in relative gain control in the second type of fiber amplifier (e.g., between the core and the associated optical path). In some implementations, both the first and second type of fiber amplifiers provide gain control. For example, the core of the first type of fiber amplifier may be individually adjustable (e.g., the first core may provide a different gain value than the second core), resulting in relative gain control in both the first and second type of fiber amplifiers. By using individually adjustable cores in the first type of fiber amplifier, more amplification can be shifted from the second type of fiber amplifier to the first type of fiber amplifier (relative to a configuration with non-individually adjustable cores), thus saving power consumption. In this case, the use of MC-EYbDF and EDF (and associated fiber amplifiers) can reduce power usage per bit.

[0032] As mentioned above, Figure 3A and Figure 3B as well as Figure 4A and Figure 4B Provided as an example. Other examples may differ from those provided. Figure 3A and Figure 3B as well as Figure 4A and Figure 4B As described.

[0033] The foregoing disclosure provides illustrations and descriptions, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit implementation to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications and variations can be made based on the foregoing disclosure, or can be derived from practical implementation. Furthermore, any embodiments described herein can be combined unless the foregoing disclosure expressly provides reasons why one or more embodiments cannot be combined.

[0034] As used in this article, depending on the context, a threshold can refer to a value that is greater than, greater than or equal to, less than or equal to, equal to, or not equal to the threshold.

[0035] Even with specific combinations of features stated in the claims and / or disclosed in the specification, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of the various embodiments. In fact, many of these features can be combined in ways not specifically stated in the claims and / or not disclosed in the specification. Although each dependent claim listed below may directly depend on only one claim, the disclosure of the various embodiments includes a combination of each dependent claim with every other claim in the claim set. As used herein, the phrase “at least one of…” refers to any combination of those items, including a single member. For example, “at least one of a, b, or c’” is intended to cover a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, and abc, as well as any combination of multiple identical items.

[0036] When a component or one or more components (e.g., a laser emitter or one or more laser emitters) is described or stated (within a single claim or across multiple claims) as performing or configured to perform multiple operations, this language is intended to broadly cover a wide range of architectures and contexts. For example, unless explicitly stated otherwise (e.g., by using “first component” and “second component” or other language distinguishing components in a claim), this language is intended to cover a single component performing or configured to perform all operations, a group of components jointly performing or configured to perform all operations, a first component performing or configured to perform a first operation and a second component performing or configured to perform a second operation, or any combination of components performing or configured to perform operations. For example, when a claim states “one or more components are configured to: perform X; perform Y; and perform Z,” the claim should be interpreted as meaning “one or more (possibly different) components configured to perform X; one or more (possibly different) components configured to perform Y; and one or more (possibly different) components configured to perform Z.”

[0037] Unless explicitly stated otherwise, no element, action, or instruction used herein should be construed as critical or necessary. Furthermore, as used herein, the articles “a” and “one” are intended to include one or more items and may be used interchangeably with “one or more.” Furthermore, as used herein, the article “the” is intended to include one or more items associated with the article “the” and may be used interchangeably with “the one or more.” Furthermore, as used herein, the term “set” is intended to include one or more items (e.g., related items, unrelated items, or a combination of related and unrelated items) and may be used interchangeably with “one or more.” Where only one item is intended, the phrase “only one” or similar language is used. Furthermore, as used herein, the terms “has,” “have,” “having,” etc., are intended to be open-ended terms. Furthermore, unless explicitly stated otherwise, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “at least partially based on.” Furthermore, as used herein, the term “or” is inclusive in a range of uses and may be used interchangeably with “and / or” unless otherwise explicitly stated (e.g., if used in conjunction with “any one of…” or “only one of…”). Additionally, for ease of description, spatially relative terms such as “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” etc., may be used herein to describe the relationship of an element or feature to another element(s) or feature(s) shown in the figures. Spatially relative terms are intended to cover different orientations of devices, apparatuses, and / or elements in use or operation, in addition to the orientations shown in the figures. The device may be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptors used herein may be interpreted accordingly.

Claims

1. An integrated line amplifier comprising: a set of multi-core fiber amplifiers of a first type, each set comprising: a set of cores in a multi-core fiber, a multi-mode pump laser coupled to the multi-core fiber, and a set of out-of-band signal sources coupled to the multi-core fiber; a set of fiber amplifiers of a second type; and a set of dynamic gain equalizers DGEs, wherein the integrated line amplifier comprises a set of optical paths associated with a set of directions, and wherein an optical path of the set of optical paths comprises a first fiber amplifier of the set of multi-core fiber amplifiers of the first type coupled to an input of a second fiber amplifier of the set of fiber amplifiers of the second type coupled to an input of a DGE of the set of DGEs coupled to an input of a third fiber amplifier of the set of fiber amplifiers of the second type coupled to an input of a fourth fiber amplifier of the set of multi-core fiber amplifiers of the first type.

2. The integrated line amplifier of claim 1, wherein the set of multi-core fiber amplifiers of the first type comprises cladding pumped multi-core active fiber amplifiers.

3. The integrated line amplifier of claim 2, wherein the cladding pumped multi-core active fiber amplifiers are multi-core erbium-ytterbium doped fiber amplifiers (MC-EYb DFAs).

4. The integrated line amplifier of claim 1, wherein the set of fiber amplifiers of the second type comprises erbium doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs).

5. The integrated line amplifier of claim 1, wherein the DGEs comprise grating light valves.

6. A multi-core fiber amplifier comprising: a set of cores, wherein the set of cores is arranged within a multi-core fiber, a multi-mode pump laser coupled to the multi-core fiber, wherein the multi-mode pump laser is configured to provide gain on a core of the multi-core fiber; and a set of out-of-band signal sources coupled to the multi-core fiber, wherein each signal source of the set of out-of-band signal sources is coupled to a corresponding core of the multi-core fiber, and wherein a signal source of the set of out-of-band signal sources is configured to limit the gain provided by the multi-mode pump laser on a corresponding core of the multi-core fiber.

7. The multi-core fiber amplifier of claim 6, wherein the multi-mode pump laser is coupled to at least 5 cores of the multi-core.

8. The multi-core fiber amplifier of claim 6, further comprising: a semiconductor optical amplifier SOA splitter component coupled to the multi-core fiber, the SOA splitter component comprising: a set of SOAs; and a splitter.

9. The multi-core fiber amplifier of claim 8, wherein the SOA splitter component is associated with providing the set of out-of-band signal sources.

10. The multi-core fiber amplifier of claim 6, wherein the multi-core fiber comprises a first section and a second section, wherein the first section is associated with a first gain value and the second section is associated with a second gain value.

11. The multicore fiber amplifier of claim 10, wherein the first gain value is within a threshold amount of the second gain value, such that the multicore fiber is configured to be east-west separable.

12. The multicore fiber amplifier of claim 10, wherein the first gain value is not within a threshold amount of the second gain value, such that the multicore fiber amplifier uses a single multicore fiber to generate all gain within the multicore fiber amplifier.

13. The multicore fiber amplifier of claim 6, further comprising: a reflective component to reflect a multimode pump laser.

14. The multicore fiber amplifier of claim 6, further comprising: a fiber coupler coupled to at least one single core fiber amplifier.

15. An integrated line amplifier, comprising: a first set of fiber amplifiers, wherein the first set of fiber amplifiers is a first type of fiber amplifier, wherein each fiber amplifier in the first set of fiber amplifiers includes a set of cores arranged within a multicore fiber, wherein the integrated line amplifier is arranged in an east-west pattern for the multicore fiber; a multimode pump laser coupled to the multicore fiber; a set of out-of-band signal sources coupled to the multicore fiber; and a second set of fiber amplifiers, wherein the second set of fiber amplifiers is a second type of fiber amplifier.

16. The integrated line amplifier of claim 15, wherein the multicore fiber is a 4-core fiber, an 8-core fiber, or a 16-core fiber.

17. The integrated line amplifier of claim 15, wherein the multimode pump laser is configured to provide gain on each core of the multicore fiber.

18. The integrated line amplifier of claim 15, wherein the set of out-of-band signal sources is configured to limit gain on the cores of the multicore fiber.

19. The integrated line amplifier of claim 15, wherein the cores of the multicore fiber are configured to be individually gain controlled.

20. The integrated line amplifier of claim 15, wherein the east-west pattern includes a first set of cores of the multicore fiber associated with a first directionality and a second set of cores of the multicore fiber associated with a second directionality.

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