Lumentum Holdings announced a joint demonstration with Qualcomm Technologies and Corning at ECOC 2026 in Málaga, Spain. The companies will showcase a high-density optical die-to-die system designed for AI scale-up systems, combining Qualcomm's chip-to-chip interface technology, Lumentum's 1060-nanometre VCSEL lasers, and Corning's high-density fibre connections. The demonstration uses 32-gigabit-per-second optical channels and can move about 1 terabit of data per second per millimetre of chip edge. The companies say the design could eventually reach 4 Tb/s/mm. Lumentum shares rose 2.4% in premarket trading after the announcement. Lumentum stock has gained 155% this year, driven by growing demand for optical components in AI data centres. The company reported fiscal Q4 2026 revenue of $1.006 billion, up 109.3% year-over-year.

ECOC: Lumentum Brings 8-Wavelength DWDM ELSFP to OCI. Lumentum is demonstrating an eight-wavelength DWDM ELSFP external laser source aligned with OCI MSA requirements for emerging CPO and NPO AI Scale Up architectures, with initial availability targeted for the first half of 2027. Lumentum is demonstrating an eight-wavelength DWDM External Laser Small Form Factor Pluggable (ELSFP) module at ECOC 2026 in Málaga, extending its high-power laser portfolio toward the emerging Optical Compute Interconnect (OCI) architecture for AI Scale Up networks. The module provides the external optical source for co-packaged optics (CPO) and near-packaged optics (NPO), separating the laser from the high-temperature environment surrounding switch and accelerator silicon while retaining a pluggable, field-serviceable light source. Initial availability of the new DWDM ELSFP with an OCI MSA optical interface is expected in the first half of 2027. The module generates eight simultaneous wavelengths divided between two four-channel bands centered near 1311 nm and 1331 nm. Lumentum specifies wavelength accuracy of +/-0.2 nm and demonstrates optical output of up to 24 dBm, approximately 250 mW, per wavelength at the fiber. All eight channels operate simultaneously from one pluggable module consuming approximately 12 W. The design uses Lumentum's Ultra High Power (UHP) laser platform, which is already in production, configured here as an eight-channel source. The wavelength arrangement is significant because the OCI 200G Optical PHY specification defines eight external-laser wavelengths split into two four-wavelength groups spanning approximately 1308-1315 nm and 1328-1335 nm. The external-laser architecture addresses several physical constraints that become more important as optics moves closer to AI accelerators and switching ASICs. Removing the laser from the optical engine provides thermal isolation from high-power compute silicon and makes the light source independently replaceable without requiring replacement of the CPO or NPO assembly. Using multiple DWDM wavelengths from a single ELSFP also increases optical bandwidth density while reducing the number of laser modules and associated fiber routing required around densely packaged compute and switching systems. Lumentum will demonstrate the module at stand #2050 during ECOC 2026, September 21-23. | Lumentum DWDM ELSFP - Key Specifications | | Architecture | DWDM ELSFP external laser source for CPO/NPO | | Wavelengths | 8 simultaneous DWDM wavelengths | | Bands | Two four-channel groups centered near 1311 nm and 1331 nm | | Accuracy | +/-0.2 nm | | Output | Up to 24 dBm (~250 mW) per wavelength at the fiber | | Module Power | Approximately 12 W | | Laser Platform | Lumentum Ultra High Power (UHP) | | Interface | Designed for applicable OCI MSA requirements | | Availability | Initial availability targeted for 1H 2027 | "CPO and NPO are becoming defining architectures for AI scale-up, and external laser sources are a critical building block of that shift," said Sri Venkat, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Components at Lumentum. "This demonstration shows our progress toward a standards-based DWDM ELSFP module, positioning Lumentum to serve customers as the CPO/NPO market scales." Analysis. The eight-channel implementation represents a more specific step toward OCI than Lumentum's earlier CPO-ready ELSFP demonstrations. At ECOC 2025, the company demonstrated ELSFP modules based on ultra-high-power 1310 nm lasers. At OFC 2026, it showed a 16-channel DWDM UHP architecture using two ELSFP modules. The ECOC 2026 implementation packages eight wavelengths into one ELSFP and aligns its optical interface with the OCI MSA architecture. OCI makes the external laser source part of its optical Scale Up model rather than leaving the light-source architecture entirely vendor-specific. Its 200G Optical PHY specification calls for an external laser source using the OIF ELSFP implementation and defines two groups of four wavelengths. This creates an important distinction between interface standardization and implementation: the OCI wavelength and optical interface can be standardized while laser design, output power, packaging, reliability engineering and manufacturing remain areas for supplier differentiation. The timing also fits Lumentum's broader AI optical roadmap. The company said in August that it expects NPO deployments to begin around late 2027 and views 2028 as an important transition period for optical Scale Up. Lumentum has also reported an initial external-laser-source order for CPO and is expanding UHP laser manufacturing capacity. The new ELSFP is therefore positioned between current demonstrations and the larger CPO/NPO deployments Lumentum expects around the next generation of accelerator and SerDes platforms. At ECOC, Lumentum is also showing its R300 optical circuit switch and a Scale Across networking display. Together, these illustrate the widening range of optical technologies being positioned for AI infrastructure: ELSFP sources and CPO/NPO move optics toward the accelerator and switch ASIC for Scale Up, while OCS and coherent technologies address connectivity across larger clusters and distributed AI data centers. | Profile: Lumentum | | NASDAQ: LITE | | Lumentum develops optical and photonic technologies for AI and cloud data centers, telecommunications networks, industrial applications and sensing. Its portfolio includes high-power and continuous-wave lasers, optical transceivers, coherent optical components, wavelength-management products and optical circuit switching. | | Headquarters | San Jose, California, USA | | President & CEO | Michael Hurlston | | Established | 2015, following spin-off from JDS Uniphase | | Markets | AI Infrastructure - Cloud/Data Centers - Optical Networking - Telecom - Industrial Photonics | | Related Converge Digest Coverage | | August 11, 2026 · AI Infrastructure Lumentum: AI Scale-Up Drives Optics Deeper Into the Data Center Lumentum outlines its 200G/lane, 1.6T, NPO, CPO and OCS roadmap. | | March 26, 2026 · Optical Lumentum to Build North Carolina Fab for InP Lasers The planned Greensboro facility expands U.S. capacity for CW and ultra-high-power InP lasers. | | March 18, 2026 · Optical Lumentum Showcases 1060nm VCSEL Optical Scale-Up Demo A complementary optical Scale Up approach targeting short-reach accelerator connectivity. | | March 17, 2026 · Optical Marvell and Lumentum Demo Optical Circuit Switching Rack-scale OCS demonstration for AI clusters. | | September 29, 2025 · ECOC25 ECOC25: Lumentum Brings CPO-Ready ELSFP and Ultra-Wide Tunable Lasers The direct predecessor to the new OCI-oriented DWDM module. | Converge Digest is tracking the latest developments from ECOC 2026 in Málaga, including 1.6T optics, CPO/NPO, external laser sources, 448G electrical interfaces, coherent networking and the technologies shaping next-generation AI infrastructure. Help others discover this reporting. Editorial responsibility Jim Carroll. Editor & Publisher Every article published by Converge Digest is researched, curated, fact-checked and editorially reviewed by Jim Carroll, Editor & Publisher. AI-assisted drafting may be used to accelerate production, but all content is reviewed, refined and approved prior to publication. From the Frontier You just read about Keysight Technologies. They held this record once. 448 Gb/s per optical lane (224 GBd PAM4) Keysight Technologies; NTT Innovative Devices; Lumentum · April 2025 Generated on a Keysight M8199B AWG and captured on an N1032A DCA-X; bench instrumentation, not a power-realistic DSP. Instrumented Lab Demo On this day. September 21 From 25 years of the Converge Digest archive.