Intersatellite optical communication links require laser beams of at least
1 W of power modulated at gigahertz frequencies. They can be delivered by a
master oscillator power amplifier system which consists of a stable single
-frequency Nd : YAG laser, a high-speed phase modulator, and an optical amp
lifier. To allow coherent detection, the polarization state must be stable
and controllable at the amplifier output and the phase noise must be kept l
ow. We report here the design and the experimental results of a diode-laser
-pumped double-clad Nd-doped fiber amplifier with polarization control, 30-
dB gain, and about 1.3 W of output power.