Lumentum Holdings Inc. (“Lumentum”) today announced its plan to demonstrate an eight-wavelength dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) laser module in an External Laser Small Form Factor Pluggable (ELSFP) at ECOC 2026. The module incorporates an optical interface designed to meet the applicable requirements of the Optical Compute Interconnect Multi-Source Agreement (OCI MSA). It is intended for external laser source applications in co-packaged optics (CPO) and near-packaged optics (NPO) architectures. Attendees can see the demonstration at Lumentum stand #2050 in Málaga, Spain.

As AI systems drive higher bandwidth and port densities, CPO and NPO architectures bring optical engines closer to switch and accelerator packages to reduce the electrical distance between SerDes and optics. An external laser source separates the laser from the highest-temperature environment, while a pluggable ELSFP module can be accessed, serviced, or replaced independently of the compute or switching package. DWDM-based architectures can further increase bandwidth density where package-edge space and fiber routing are constrained.

The ELSFP module provides eight simultaneous DWDM wavelengths across two four-channel bands centered near 1311 nm and 1331 nm. The design targets wavelength accuracy of ±0.2 nm and demonstrates up to 24 dBm (~250 mW) of optical output power per wavelength at the fiber. All eight channels operate simultaneously from a single, pluggable module with approximately 12 W of power consumption. The module utilizes Lumentum’s Ultra High Power (UHP) laser platform, already in production, in an eight-channel configuration with performance aligned to applicable OCI MSA requirements.

The demonstration reflects the growing need for compact, standards-based laser sources as data center architectures move toward CPO and NPO to meet the bandwidth and power demands of AI scale-up infrastructure. Lumentum expects initial availability of the DWDM ELSFP module with an OCI MSA optical interface in the first half of calendar year 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.”

In addition to the ELSFP module demonstration, Lumentum will showcase a scale-across networking display featuring products for high-capacity inter-data-center connectivity. The Lumentum OCS R300 optical circuit switch will also be on exhibit in the booth, highlighting the company’s optical switching portfolio for scalable AI infrastructure.

(Photo credit: Lumentum)

TrendForce 2026 Infrared Sensing Application Market and Branding Strategies
Release: 01 January 2026
Format: PDF / EXCEL
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