Patent ID: 7734189

Claim:
An optical transmitter comprising: a distributed feedback (DFB) laser; a 1×N splitter coupled to split a first beam from the distributed feedback laser into separated beams, 1×N splitter comprises a waveguide beam splitter; an array of N modulators coupled to respectively receive the separated beams from the 1×N beam splitter, wherein the modulators modulate the respective beam to represent respective data signals that are transmitted in parallel, the modulators are positioned in an integrated circuit that is separate from the DFB laser and comprises an array of optical amplifiers, each of the optical amplifiers being in line with a corresponding one of the modulators and amplifying the respective modulated beams representing the respective data signals that are transmitted in parallel such that respective amplified modulated beams are output in parallel from the optical transmitter, each modulator comprising an electro-absorption (EA) modulator, each of the optical amplifiers being an active structure having an active region that is connected to the corresponding one of the modulators, the splitter and integrated circuit being joined together by a direct coupling in which faces of waveguides in the splitter abut respective faces of the waveguides in the integrated circuit; and an optical isolator in a beam path from the drive laser to the 1×N splitter, the 1×N splitter and the array of modulators being contained by a first subunit; the distributed feedback laser and the optical isolator being contained by a second subunit which is separate from the first subunit.