The Custom EDFA covers the C-band (1530–1565 nm), L-band (1565–1625 nm), or dual C+L — both bands delivered from a single source through one cable. Operating band is a configurable parameter specified per project, not a fixed catalogue choice. Dual C+L delivery through a single cable removes the need for a second amplifier entirely, simplifying system architecture and reducing integration complexity.

The Custom EDFA reaches average powers above 100 W, pulse energies above 10 mJ, and peak powers above 100 kW — at the leading commercially available levels for erbium fibre. Every unit is configured to the application, so exact figures are specified per project rather than drawn from a fixed datasheet. These power levels are the result of the MOPA architecture and WSL's in-house engineering, scaled to what the application demands.

The Custom EDFA supports CW, short-pulse (for example, 100–500 ns), and fully custom pulse regimes. Pulse regime is a configurable parameter matched to the application — formats beyond the named examples are available where the application requires them. The pulse format is defined at the seed stage of the MOPA architecture and scaled by the amplifier, so temporal and spectral characteristics set by the seed are preserved as output power is increased.

Thorlabs catalogue EDFAs — including the EDFA100 and EDFA300 series, available as benchtop units and PXIe modules — are fixed-specification, off-the-shelf products designed for sub-watt output power. They serve well-defined, general-purpose use cases. The Custom EDFA is a different category of product: it is engineered end-to-end to the application across operating band, output power, pulse regime, cooling, form factor, and control firmware, reaching power classes orders of magnitude higher — above 100 W average, above 100 kW peak, above 10 mJ pulse energy. The distinction is not only power; it is the depth of per-project customisation and the in-house engineering model that makes it possible.

MOPA stands for master oscillator power amplifier. It separates the seed laser — which defines pulse format, wavelength, and spectral properties — from the power amplifier stage, which scales output power independently. The practical consequence is that pulse quality is preserved at high output levels: the seed sets the temporal and spectral characteristics, and the amplifier scales power without degrading them. This matters for applications requiring both high power and precise pulse control, including LiDAR, fibre sensing, and surface processing.

At wavelengths above approximately 1400 nm, the cornea and lens of the eye absorb incident light before it reaches the retina. This raises the maximum permissible exposure (MPE) significantly compared to 1064 nm sources, where the beam can transmit through the ocular media and focus on the retina. The result is a smaller Nominal Hazard Zone at 1550 nm than at 1064 nm for equivalent output power — a well-established laser safety classification difference, not a safety guarantee. The Custom EDFA supports reduced-hazard-zone builds for applications where this classification advantage is operationally relevant.

The Custom EDFA is CE and UKCA certified. CE certification is required for placing products on the EU market; UKCA is the UK's post-Brexit conformity marking for the GB market. Both are relevant for UK and European procurement.

Every unit is configured per project, so the process begins with submitting your requirements for a specialist evaluation. WSL will assess feasibility and provide a quotation; direct engineering support continues from quotation through to integration. There is no off-the-shelf stock lead time — timelines are established once the specification is defined. To make the evaluation as efficient as possible, it helps to share your target application, operating band, output power, pulse regime, pulse energy and peak power targets, cooling preference, form factor constraints, and control interface requirements.