Patent ID: 7031612

Claim:
An optical transponder module for providing transport of optical communications between a first network and a second network over an intermediate range optical communication system, the module comprising a front-end transceiver for receiving input optical communication from the first network and converting said input into an electrical data output, and receiving input electrical data from the second network and converting said electric input into an output optical signal and transmitting said output optical communication to said first network; an intermediate range optical transmitter, responsive to the electrical data output from the front-end transceiver for converting said electrical data into an optical output signal for transmission over said intermediate range optical communication system to said second network; and an intermediate range optical receiver, responsive to optical data input from the second network for converting said optical input into an electrical data signal applied as an input to said front-end transceiver for conversion to an optical output signal transmitted to said first network, wherein said intermediate range optical transmitter comprises an electroabsorption modulated laser including an electroabsorption modulator section responsive to the electrical data output from said front-end transceiver and a Fabry-Perot laser section responsive to the electroabsorption modulator for providing a modulated optical output signal, the electroabsorption modulator section comprising a first multiple quantum well active region comprising a plurality of barrier layers and a plurality of well layers, the Fabry-Perot laser device section comprising a second multiple quantum well active region comprising a plurality of barrier layers and a plurality of well layers, wherein each of said barrier layers and said well layers of said second multiple quantum well active region are thicker than each of said barrier layers and said well layers of said first multiple quantum well active region, respectively.