An optical amplifier is a device which receives some input signal light and generates an output signal with higher optical power. Typically, inputs and outputs are laser beams (very rarely other types of light beams), either propagating as Gaussian beams in free space or in a fiber. The amplification occurs in a so-called gain medium, which has to be “pumped” (i.e., provided with energy) from an external source. Most optical amplifiers are either optically or electrically pumped.

Different kinds of amplifiers differ very much e.g. in terms of saturation properties. For example, rare-earth-doped laser gain media can store substantial amounts of energy, whereas optical parametric amplifiers provide amplification only as long as the pump beam is present. As another example, semiconductor optical amplifiers store much less energy than fiber amplifiers, and this has important implications for optical fiber communications.