The present invention relates to a fiber having a core of crystal fiber
doped with chromium and a glass cladding. The fiber has a gain bandwidth
of more than 300 nm including 1.3 mm to 1.6 mm in optical communication,
and can be used as light source, optical amplifier and tunable laser when
being applied for optical fiber communication. The present invention also
relates to a method of making the fiber. First, a chromium doped crystal
fiber is grown by laser-heated pedestal growth (LHPG). Then, the crystal
fiber is cladded with a glass cladding by codrawing laser-heated pedestal
growth (CDLHPG). Because it is a high temperature manufacture process,
the cladding manufactured by this method is denser than that by
evaporation technique, and can endure relative high damage threshold
power for the pumping light.