Oplink Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: OPLK), an independent designer and manufacturer of innovative passive optical components and integrated optical subsystems, announced a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of privately held Aurora Photonics, Inc. of Santa Clara, California. Aurora Photonics provides tunable acousto-optic (AO) technologies, and holds six fundamental AO technology patents.

As a provider 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. Dr. I. C. Chang, president of Aurora Photonics, will become Oplink's Vice President of Advanced Tunable - AO Technology. Dr. Chang pioneered the first series of commercial AO products and authored more than a dozen AO patents, including the basic invention of the noncollinear acousto-optical tunable filter (AOTF).

About Oplink Communications:

Oplink designs, manufactures and markets high performance fiber optic networking components and integrated optical sub-systems that control, expand, amplify, switch, route, monitor, and protect optical signals. For more information, visit www.oplink.com.