An erbium-doped fiber amplifier pumped at 1.48-mu-m with ultimately high efficiency has been developed. The fiber has a relative refractive index difference of 2.0% and Er3+ ions and alumina are doped only in a limited area of the core. A slope efficiency of 86% and a gain coefficient of 6.3 dB/mW by 1.48-mu-m pumping have been achieved as well as excellent spectral signal output performance. In spite of its small mode-field diameter, it is possible to fusion-splice the fiber to standard dispersion-shifted fibers with low loss due to diffusion of fluorine dopant in the cladding.