摘要:
An optical amplifier to be used in a multiplexed wavelength optical communication system, for example, comprising, in order to add/remove an excitation light source stably according to the increase/decrease in the number of channels of a signal light even during the operation of the optical communication system; an optical amplifier (2) for amplifying and outputting an input signal light; a plurality of excitation light sources (3, 4); and an excitation light source control unit (5) for controlling the operations of said excitation light sources (3, 4), wherein said excitation light sources include a main excitation light source (3) and an auxiliary excitation light source (4), and wherein the excitation light source control unit (5) includes a control unit (7) for controlling the main excitation light source (3) to feed the excitation light, when the number of channels of the input signal light is no more than a predetermined number of channels and for controlling said main excitation light source (3) and said auxiliary excitation light source (4) to cooperate with each other to feed the excitation light, when the number of channels of said signal light is larger than a predetermined number of channels.