Optical amplifier "erbium-doped waveguide amplifier" ("EDWA") is an optical amplifier that uses a waveguide to boost an optical signal. Amplification is achieved by stimulated emission of photons from dopant ions in the doped fiber. The pump laser excites ions into a higher energy from where they can decay via stimulated emission of a photon at the signal wavelength back to a lower energy level. The excited ions can also decay spontaneously (spontaneous emission) or even through nonradiative processes involving interactions with phonons of the glass matrix. These last two decay mechanisms compete with stimulated emission reducing the efficiency of light amplification. The
Sound amplification by stimulated emission of radiation in the system leads to both the appearance of a backward wave and a dynamical instability of the system. Mathematical analyses have shown that two types of losses must be overcome for generation of oscillations to start. Losses of the first type are associated with the dispersion of energy inside the active medium and second type losses are due to radiation losses at the ends of the resonator. These types of losses are inversely proportional to the amount of energy stored in the resonator. In general, the disparity of the radiators does not play a role in any attempt of