Amplification of picosecond pulses and gigahertz signals in bismuth-doped fiber amplifiers

We demonstrate the capability for amplification of picosecond pulses in two bismuth-doped alumosilicate fibers. A spectrally filtered supercontinuum source is used to provide a train of picosecond pulses at discrete wavelengths within the gain bandwidth of bismuth fiber amplifiers. With a 30 m length of active fiber, a small signal gain at 1160 nm of over 20 dB is observed. In addition, we assess the viability of amplification of high repetition rate signals in such amplifiers, applying a 10 GHz modulation to a continuous wave Raman fiber laser operating at 1178 nm, finding that such signals are amplified without noticeable distortion.