News
Lumentum demonstrates 800 mW laser as competitors pivot to DFB arrays for co-packaged optics
Friday, March 27, 2026 at 05:41 AM
Lumentum showcased an 800 mW laser at OFC 2026, highlighting a significant power gap compared to a competitor's 65 mW CW DFB chip. Due to the inability to meet the 300-400 mW requirement for Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) with single emitters, the competitor is partnering with Ayar Labs to develop DFB arrays that integrate multiple low-power chips.
Context
At the OFC 2026 conference on March 17, 2026, Lumentum unveiled a breakthrough 800 mW Super-High-Power (SHP) laser, doubling the capacity of its 400 mW predecessor launched in 2025. This device delivers over 1.0 W of optical power at room temperature and maintains 800 mW at 50°C, specifically targeting the rigorous power budgets required for co-packaged optics (CPO) and silicon photonics architectures. The demonstration highlights a significant power gap compared to competitors like Coherent and Applied Optoelectronics, who have recently focused on 400 mW solutions or DFB arrays to meet the 300-400 mW threshold necessary for next-generation AI infrastructure.
This development is critical as AI workloads drive the transition toward 1.6T and 3.2T optical modules. Lumentum Chief Strategy Officer Rafik Ward stated at the event that their portfolio is "designed to enable the scale, speed and efficiency required by next-generation AI and cloud data-center infrastructure." While some competitors are pivoting toward multi-wavelength arrays in partnership with firms like Ayar Labs to compensate for lower single-emitter power, Lumentum’s high-power single-source approach aims to simplify optical paths and improve link resiliency in hyperscale environments.
Sources (13)
Lumentum - Lumentum Demonstrates Industry-Leading Technologies and Products for Scale-Out, Scale-Up and Scale-Across AI Infrastructure at OFC 2026
Sivers Photonics demonstrates CW-WDM MSA compliant DFB laser arrays with Ayar Labs’ SuperNova™ at OFC 2023, supporting the next generation of network technology - Sivers SemiconductorsAOI Introduces New Ultra High-Power Semiconductor Laser to Support Silicon Photonics and CPO | Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.High-Power 100 mW DFB Laser Diode Chips | CoherentLumentum demos technologies and products for scale-out, scale-up and scale-across applicationsCo Packaged Optics (CPO) – Scaling with Light for the Next Wave of InterconnectLumentum Showcases Next-Gen Photonic Solutions for AI and Data...Sivers Photonics to exhibit and show a live demo of its CW ... - Cision
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