A multi-port coupler for coupling an pumping light source to a cladding
pump fiber for optical amplification, includes a central signal fiber and
a plurality of pumping fibers arranged around the central signal fiber,
the central signal fiber and the plurality of pumping fibers being
unified and a front side is reduced in diameter, wherein an emitted light
confining waveguide part is provided around a core of the signal fiber
located at the center, and the emitted light confining waveguide part
whose outer diameter is larger than that of the core has a higher
refractive index than a cladding and a lower refractive index than the
core and the emitted light confining waveguide part is formed
continuously from a splicing point of the cladding pump fiber to a
coupler front end branched into multiple fibers.