Abstract: A laser diode optical transmitter and a method of operating the optical transmitter utilize a transistor to quickly enable and disable a laser diode by selectively shorting the laser diode. In an embodiment, the transistor is separated from the laser diode by an inductor. The inductor provides a high impedance between the transistor and the laser diode to at least reduce the effect of a parasitic capacitance associated with the transistor when the laser diode is driven to generate optical signals of different power levels. The use of the transistor and the inductor (i) reduces the amount of leakage light generated by the laser diode when in a disabled state, (ii) shortens the enable and disable times of the optical transmitter, and (iii) allows the laser diode to be modulated at a high rate of speed.