Systems and methods are provided for short fiber length multi-core fiber (MCF) Erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs). An enhanced Erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) includes one or more pumps configured to pump light during the amplifying, and a multiple-core fiber (MCF) doped with an active dopant for communicating the signal light within the EDFA during the amplifying. The multiple-core fiber (MCF) is in optical communication with the signal light and is in optical communication with the one or more pumps, where the amplifying included applying a plurality of gain sections, with each gain section associated with a corresponding fiber length, and where applying one or more of the plurality of gain sections including use of one or more loops via one or more corresponding cores in the multiple-core fiber (MCF). The multiple-core fiber (MCF) is an Erbium-doped fiber (EDF).