SAN JOSE, Calif., June 5 -- Oplink Communications Inc., an independent designer and manufacturer of passive optical components and integrated optical subsystems, announced a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of privately held Aurora Photonics Inc. in Santa Clara, Calif. Aurora Photonics is a provider of tunable acousto-optic (AO) technologies, and holds six fundamental AO technology patents.
    As a player in the field of passive fiber optical components, the acquisition will enhance Oplink's ability to deliver a broader range of tunable optical components. The strength of this acquisition is the combination of Oplink's micro-optics design and packaging technology with Aurora's tunable technology to provide a series of tunable products including; 100 GHz in-fiber optical add-drop multiplexers (IFOADM), low-cost optical spectrum analyzers (OSA), optical channel monitors and various tunable filters.
    I. C. Chang, president of Aurora Photonics, will become Oplink's vice president of Advanced Tunable AO Technology. Chang pioneered the first series of commercial AO products and has authored more than a dozen AO patents, including the basic invention of the noncollinear acousto-optical tunable filter (AOTF).
    "Next generation passive optical components must deliver tunability, flexibility, quality, microelectronic-optical integration, and low cost," said Joe Liu, Oplink's CEO. "Oplink intends to be one of the leaders providing end-to-end tunable and integrated products to address growing Metro, Access, and Long-Haul applications."