A transmission fibre with optical amplification, comprising a core and a
cladding. The core material is doped with a first dopant of a material
having a higher index of refraction than the material of the cladding and
with a second dopant of a material that converts pump energy in the form
of light having a first wavelength into light having a second wavelength.
The concentration of the second dopant within the core increases in
radial direction in proportion to the distance to the centre of the core.
The core material is preferably doped with a third dopant for
compensating the variation in the refractive index caused by the second
dopant. The cladding may comprise a cladding layer surrounding the core
provided with a fourth and a fifth dopant for signal amplification and
refractive index compensation, respectively, in the cladding layer. The
dopants have been selected to enable amplification, using the Raman
effect or stimulated emission.