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Lumentum is a United States-based manufacturer of optical and photonic technologies for communications, cloud networking, industrial systems, and scientific applications. Lumentum Holdings is a photonics company supplying optical and laser technologies for communications, data centers, industrial applications, and sensing.

Last updated November 2, 2026

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Overview

Lumentum is an American optical and photonic technology company whose products support the transmission, switching, processing, and generation of light in communications and industrial systems. The company was established on August 1, 2015, when JDSU separated its communications and commercial-optical businesses into a new standalone company. At the same time, the remaining JDSU organization changed its name to Viavi Solutions. Lumentum subsequently became an independent public company, with its shares beginning to trade on the Nasdaq under the symbol LITE in August 2015. The company operates broadly across two principal areas: Cloud and Networking, and Industrial Tech. In Cloud and Networking, Lumentum supplies optical components, photonic integrated circuits, chips, transceivers, modules, and larger subsystems used in telecommunications networks, cloud infrastructure, data centers, and other high-capacity communication systems. These technologies help network operators and equipment manufacturers move increasing quantities of data across fiber-optic links. The company’s portfolio includes components associated with optical transmission, switching, amplification, wavelength management, and network interconnection. In Industrial Tech, Lumentum develops and manufactures lasers and related optical technologies for industrial processing, sensing, inspection, measurement, life-science, and scientific applications. Its lasers can be used in areas such as manufacturing, materials processing, instrumentation, research laboratories, and other specialized systems where controlled light sources are required. The company’s role is generally that of a technology and component supplier rather than a consumer-facing brand: its products are commonly integrated into equipment made by telecommunications, networking, industrial, medical, and scientific-system manufacturers. Lumentum is associated with advanced manufacturing and the development of photonic devices for applications requiring high performance, precision, reliability, and scale. Its products also participate in emerging infrastructure architectures, including optical circuit-switching technologies used in high-performance computing and artificial-intelligence hardware environments. These systems seek to use optical connections to improve the movement of data between computing and networking resources. The company’s corporate history is closely tied to the restructuring of JDSU. Its 2015 separation gave Lumentum an independent public-market identity and focused its business on optical communications and commercial lasers. It joined the S&P SmallCap 600 shortly after its listing and later moved into the S&P MidCap 400 in 2018. Reference material also reports later index-related developments and strategic interest in photonics technologies, including an investment by Nvidia in 2026, although those developments should be read in the context of the cited source and their stated dates. Lumentum remains an active specialist supplier serving communications infrastructure and industrial photonics markets. Lumentum Holdings is a United States-based photonics company headquartered in San Jose, California. It describes its business as developing optical and photonic technologies that support AI, cloud computing, telecommunications, industrial applications, and sensing. The company says it operates worldwide through research and development, manufacturing, and sales locations. Lumentum’s portfolio includes lasers, transceiver modules, amplifiers, wavelength-management products, and other photonic components. Its products are used in data-center and cloud infrastructure, data-center interconnect, metro and long-haul networks, submarine communications, industrial manufacturing, and sensing. The company highlights expertise in indium phosphide and photonic integration, as well as vertically integrated manufacturing. Examples of products featured on its site include optical circuit switches, high-speed lasers, external laser source modules, and 1.6T optical transceiver modules. The company says Lumentum launched in 2015 as a spin-off from JDS Uniphase, with a focus on optical communications and commercial lasers. Its corporate messaging emphasizes enabling reliable, efficient movement of data as demand for bandwidth grows, including demand associated with AI and cloud infrastructure. Lumentum also presents its laser technologies as supporting precision manufacturing and sensing applications. Lumentum reports a global workforce and a portfolio of patents on its company homepage, but this dossier does not assign more precise figures beyond the supplied evidence. It is publicly traded under the ticker LITE. Its current corporate headquarters are listed at 1001 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, California. The company’s public-facing positioning centers on photonics as infrastructure: components and systems that carry, switch, amplify, and manage light for high-capacity networks and related technologies.

History

Lumentum emerged from the 2015 restructuring of JDSU, a company known for communications test, measurement, optical, and photonic technologies. On August 1, 2015, the Lumentum business was established as a separate company focused on optical communications and commercial lasers. JDSU changed its name to Viavi Solutions, leaving Lumentum as the independently branded entity for the separated optical and laser operations. The separation was followed by a public-market listing. After the close of trading on July 31, 2015, the corporate changes associated with the separation took effect. Lumentum was added to the S&P SmallCap 600 after trading on August 3, and its shares began trading on Nasdaq under the symbol LITE on August 4, 2015. These steps gave the company an independent capital-markets identity and positioned it as a focused supplier of optical and photonic technologies rather than as part of a broader test-and-measurement corporation. Lumentum’s business has developed around two interconnected areas. The Cloud and Networking segment supplies optical chips, components, modules, transceivers, and subsystems for telecommunications networks, cloud infrastructure, data centers, and high-bandwidth interconnects. The Industrial Tech segment produces lasers and related technologies for industrial processing, inspection, sensing, scientific work, and other specialized applications. Across both areas, Lumentum generally sells enabling technologies to equipment manufacturers and system integrators, meaning that the company’s products are often embedded in larger communications, manufacturing, or scientific systems. The company has also participated in the evolution of optical technologies for increasingly demanding computing architectures. Optical circuit-switching products and related photonic devices can be used to connect computing and networking resources while addressing the speed, scale, and energy requirements of data-intensive workloads. This has made photonics relevant to cloud computing and artificial-intelligence infrastructure in addition to traditional telecommunications. Lumentum’s public-company profile developed further through index changes. It entered the S&P SmallCap 600 in 2015 and was moved to the S&P MidCap 400 in April 2018. Reference material describes additional index developments announced for 2026 and reports a strategic Nvidia investment in Lumentum during that year. Those later events are included as source-supported milestones but are date-sensitive. The company’s continuing identity is that of an active, specialized manufacturer of optical communications equipment, photonic components, and commercial and industrial laser systems. Lumentum’s corporate history, as described by the company, begins with its formation as a spin-off from JDS Uniphase in 2015. The new company was established with a focus on optical communications and commercial lasers. Lumentum presents that separation as the start of a dedicated photonics business, building on a longer tradition of work at the intersection of light and communications. Its company page describes the organization as having developed from JDS Uniphase’s vision to harness photonics, and says it has been at the intersection of light and innovation for nearly five decades; the supplied material does not provide a more detailed account of that predecessor history. A later development noted in the company’s account is the move of its VCSEL technology into volume production for consumer 3D sensing in 2017. This marked an expansion of the company’s photonics work into sensing applications alongside its communications and laser businesses. The supplied company-history excerpt does not specify particular customers or devices associated with that production. Lumentum’s current business description brings together optical networking products and lasers for several markets. Its optical products support AI and compute infrastructure, cloud and data-center environments, data-center interconnect, metro and long-haul networks, and submarine applications. Its laser products serve industrial and sensing uses, including precision-manufacturing and sensing applications described by the company. Its product portfolio includes lasers, transceiver modules, amplifiers, wavelength-management products, and other photonic components. The company also identifies expertise in indium phosphide and photonic integration, and says vertically integrated manufacturing supports quality control and supply-chain resilience. The company is headquartered in San Jose, California, and says it operates worldwide through research and development, manufacturing, and sales locations. Its present-day messaging connects its work to rising demand for bandwidth and energy efficiency, particularly in AI and cloud infrastructure. The company frames its role as supplying optical building blocks that move and manage data at scale. Its homepage also lists product developments including optical circuit switching, high-speed laser modules, external laser-source modules, and high-speed transceivers. Lumentum is publicly traded under ticker LITE. The supplied evidence does not establish a current parent company or identify an individual founder.

  • 2026

    Reported Nvidia strategic investment

    [1]

    Reference material reports a $2 billion Nvidia investment in Lumentum connected with photonics technologies.

  • 2018

    Promotion to the S&P MidCap 400

    [1]

    Lumentum moved from the S&P SmallCap 600 to the S&P MidCap 400 in April 2018.

  • 2017

    VCSEL technology enters volume production for consumer 3D sensing

    Lumentum’s VCSEL technology moved into volume production for consumer 3D sensing, expanding its photonics work into sensing applications alongside communications and lasers.

  • 2015

    Lumentum is established as a JDSU spinoff

    [1]

    Lumentum was founded on August 1, 2015, through the separation of optical communications and commercial-laser activities from JDSU.

  • 2015

    Corporate separation from JDSU is completed

    [1]

    Following the close of trading on July 31, JDSU adopted the Viavi Solutions name while Lumentum became the independent company for the separated business.

  • 2015

    Nasdaq trading begins

    [1]

    Lumentum shares began trading on Nasdaq under the ticker LITE on August 4, 2015.

  • 2015

    Lumentum launches as a spin-off from JDS Uniphase

Products and positioning

A specialist business-to-business photonics supplier positioned around optical communications, cloud-networking infrastructure, AI and cloud data centers, advanced manufacturing, precision laser technology, and sensing.

  • Cloud and Networking

    Optical communication components

    Lumentum produces optical components used to transmit, receive, amplify, route, and manage signals in fiber-optic communications systems. These components are supplied to telecommunications and networking-equipment manufacturers and can be integrated into carrier, data-center, and cloud-infrastructure platforms.

  • Cloud and Networking

    Optical transceivers and modules

    The company’s transceivers, modules, and related subsystems combine optical and electronic functions for high-capacity network links. They support the conversion and movement of data across fiber-optic infrastructure and are designed for use in telecommunications, cloud, and data-center environments. Featured products include a 1.6T 2×DR4 TRO OSFP transceiver module.

  • Cloud and Networking

    Optical circuit-switching technologies

    Lumentum offers optical circuit-switching technologies that use photonic paths to connect network and computing resources. These products are relevant to data-intensive architectures, including infrastructure associated with artificial-intelligence and high-performance-computing workloads. A featured product is the Optical Circuit Switch (OCS) R300.

  • Industrial Tech

    Industrial and commercial lasers

    Lumentum manufactures a broad range of lasers and laser-related technologies for industrial processing, inspection, sensing, measurement, scientific research, and other specialized systems. Its products are typically incorporated into larger equipment rather than sold directly to consumers. Featured products include the EML 200G PAM4 CWDM Laser HL13E1CP00-Ln and the External Laser Source (ELS) Module ELSFP-350, which uses an ultra-high-power laser.

  • Lasers

    Laser products for communications, industrial applications, and sensing.

  • Optical transceiver modules

    Optical connectivity products, including a featured 1.6T 2×DR4 TRO OSFP transceiver module.

  • Optical Circuit Switch (OCS) R300

    An optical circuit switch featured among the company’s product highlights.

  • External Laser Source (ELS) Module ELSFP-350

    A featured external laser source module described as using an ultra-high-power laser.

Brand decisions

  • 2026

    Reported strategic investment from NvidiaOther

    Background

    Reference material describes Nvidia as making paired strategic investments in photonics-technology companies, including Lumentum.

    Action taken

    Nvidia reportedly invested $2 billion in Lumentum on March 2, 2026.

    Aftermath

    The reported transaction indicates strategic interest in photonics as part of advanced networking and computing infrastructure, although the supplied material provides limited additional details.

    Strategic investment. $2 billion investment reported (March 2, 2026)

  • 2015

    Create an independent optical and laser companyStrategy

    Background

    JDSU reorganized its businesses and separated its optical communications and commercial-laser activities from the company that became Viavi Solutions.

    Action taken

    Lumentum was established as a standalone company on August 1, 2015, with a focused portfolio spanning optical communications and commercial lasers.

    Aftermath

    The separation produced an independently traded company whose products serve communications infrastructure, cloud networking, industrial systems, and scientific applications.

  • Formation as a focused optical communications and commercial laser companyOther

Recent events

  • Reported

    Lumentum receives Thailand Prime Minister’s Industry Award[7]

    Lumentum announced that Thailand’s Prime Minister presented it with the 2021 Prime Minister’s Industry Award in the Productivity category, recognizing achievements in its manufacturing processes at its Thailand facility.

  • Reported

    Lumentum receives ZTE Best Comprehensive Performance Award[8]

    Lumentum announced that ZTE presented it with the Best Comprehensive Performance Award during the 2022 ZTE Global Partners Day. The award recognized Lumentum's quality, technology, delivery and performance.

  • Lumentum introduces addressable VCSEL arrays for LiDAR[9]

    Lumentum expanded its multi-junction VCSEL range to include 1D and 2D addressable arrays for LiDAR and 3D sensing applications. The products were expected to be available starting in fourth-quarter 2022.

  • Reported

    Lumentum participates in joint mobile optical pluggables paper[10]

    Lumentum announced its participation in a joint technical paper on Mobile Optical Pluggables with Ericsson, Nokia, and other industry participants.

  • Coherent terminates planned merger with Lumentum[11]

    Coherent terminated its planned merger with Lumentum, clearing the way for Coherent to pursue a merger with II-VI. Lumentum said Coherent had given notice of the termination.

  • Reported

    Lumentum announces acquisition of Coherent[12]

    Lumentum and Coherent announced an agreement for Lumentum to acquire Coherent in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at $5.7 billion. The agreement had received unanimous approval from both companies’ boards; the deal was expected to close in the second half of 2021.

  • Reported

    Lumentum acquires TriLumina technology assets[13]

    Lumentum says it acquired certain TriLumina technology assets, including patents and other intellectual property. The transaction terms were not disclosed.

  • Reported

    Lumentum reports fiscal second-quarter 2020 results[14]

    Lumentum reported results for its fiscal second quarter ended December 28, 2019, including net revenue of $457.8 million and GAAP net income of $49.1 million.

  • Reported

    Lumentum provides fiscal third-quarter 2020 outlook[14]

    Lumentum provided an outlook for fiscal third-quarter 2020, projecting net revenue of $400 million to $425 million, a non-GAAP operating margin of 21% to 23%, and non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of $1.00 to $1.17.

  • Reported

    Lumentum prices $900 million convertible notes offering[15]

    Lumentum announced the pricing of a private placement of $900 million in aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes due 2026. The planned sale was expected to settle on December 12, subject to customary closing conditions.

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