CW Lasers

External Laser Source (ELS) Module with Ultra-High-Power Laser

ELSFP-350

External Laser Source (ELS) Module with Ultra-High-Power Laser

Lumentum’ s external laser source form factor pluggable (ELSFP) module provides a centralized, serviceable light source for co-packaged optics (CPO) systems in AI and cloud data centers. By removing continuous-wave (CW) lasers from the switch or ASIC package, the ELSFP enables multiple silicon photonics (SiPh) optical engines to share a single, high-power laser source—improving system efficiency, thermal performance, and serviceability. By using Lumentum’s ultra-high-power (UHP) laser, the ELSFP delivers the optical power, spectral purity, and stability required as port counts and data rates scale beyond 100 Tb/s. Operating at 1311 nm, it achieves up to 24 dBm optical output per wavelength with dual-TEC thermal control for consistent performance. Built on Lumentum’ s proven heritage in high-reliability laser manufacturing and vertically integrated supply chain, the ELSFP combines unmatched optical performance with production scalability and field-proven quality. Designed for high-volume manufacturing and field replaceability, the ELSFP module enables scalable, energy-efficient optical fabrics for next-generation AI and cloud networking architectures.

Features and Benefits

 

  • Centralized ELSFP module powers multiple CPO engines
  • Delivers up to +24 dBm optical output per wavelength at 50°C
  • Integrates Lumentum’ s UHP laser technology for industry-leading optical power, spectral purity, and long-term stability
  • Narrow linewidth (<500 kHz) and low relative intensity noise (RIN) for clean, low-noise optical links
  • Optimized for 1311 nm O-band operation with dual-TEC thermal control for precise wavelength stability
  • Compact, non-hermetic pluggable form factor engineered for high-volume manufacturing 
  • Removes laser heat from the ASIC, GPU, or switch, improving thermal margin and enabling denser system integration
  • Shared light source design supports multiple optical engines, reducing total cost of ownership (TCO) and simplifying maintenance
  • Field-replaceable, pluggable design enhances uptime and operational flexibility in hyperscale environments
  • Delivers stable, low-noise optical power compatible with both coherent- and SiPh-based CPO platforms

Applications

 

  • ELS for CPO in AI-driven networking architectures with I/O >100 Tbps
  • Powering SiPh optical engines requiring stable 1311 nm light sources
  • Shared laser pools supporting 800G and 1.6T deployments with a path to 3.2T
  • Hyperscale data centers standardizing on a pluggable, high-volume external laser module