Patent ID: 6922281

Claim:
An EDFA system for connection between two optical fibers, said EDFA system amplifying optical signals received from one optical fiber and passing said amplified optical signals to the other optical fiber, said EDFA system comprising a section of erbium-doped optical fiber having two ends, each end coupled to one of said optical fibers; and at least one integrated input module having first and second optical fiber sections, said first optical fiber section connected to an end of said erbium-doped optical fiber section and said second optical fiber section connected to said one of said optical fibers so that said one integrated input module is connected between one of said optical fibers and said erbium-doped optical fiber section, a WDM filter arranged with respect to ends of said optical fiber sections so that optical signals received from one of said optical fiber sections is passed to the other of said optical fiber sections, and a laser diode arranged with respect to said WDM filter and said ends of said optical fiber sections so that pump light from said laser diode is passed to said first optical fiber section and said erbium-doped optical fiber section, said laser diode mounted within an TO package in said integrated input module; and a metal package for enclosing said erbium-doped optical fiber section and said at least one integrated input module, said metal package thermally connected to said TO package for heat dissipation of said laser diode operating as a pump laser for said erbium-doped optical fiber section.