Coaxial cooled laser modules with integrated thermal electric cooler and optical components

An optical transmitter for converting and coupling an information-containing electrical signal with an optical fiber comprising:

• a housing including an electrical connector for mounting and coupling with an external electrical information system device and for receiving an information-containing electrical communications signal;
• a substantially planar header of the housing, said header having a plurality of pins extending through the header, each pin of the plurality of pins extending through the header and each pin of the plurality of pins being adapted to engage a respective conductor of the external connector on a first side of the header;
• a window adapted for coupling with an external optical fiber for transmitting an optical communications signal;
• at least one electro-optical subassembly containing a plurality of active and passive components located within the housing for converting between an information-containing electrical signal and a modulated optical signal corresponding to the electrical signal;
• and
• a thermo-electric cooler coupled between the planar header of the housing and electro-optical subassembly to cool both the active and passive components of the subassembly, said thermo-electric cooler having a hot plate disposed against a second, opposing side of the header and a cold plate disposed against the electro-optical subassembly and where the hot and cold plates are mutually parallel with the planar header.

An opto-electric module coupled with an optical fiber on a first side and a plurality of electrical conductors on a second side, said opto-electric module comprising:

• a substantially planar header with a plurality of pins extending through the header, each pin of the plurality of pins extending through the header and each pin of the plurality of pins being adapted to engage a respective conductor of the plurality of conductors on a first side of the header;
• a thermo-electric cooler with a first side of the thermo-electric cooler disposed on a second side of the header and where the first side and a second side of the thermo-electric cooler are substantially flat and mutually parallel with the header;
• a carrier module with a first side of the carrier module disposed on the second side of the thermo-electric cooler;
• a plurality of active and passive optical components disposed on a second side of the carrier module;
• and
• a lens isolator combination that couples the optical signal with the optical fiber disposed on the second side of the carrier module.