Coherent Expands WaveShaper Portfolio With the New 1000A Sharp High-Resolution Programmable Optical Filter
SAXONBURG, Pa., Jan. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Coherent Corp. (NYSE:COHR), a global leader in photonics, today announced the launch of the WaveShaper 1000A Sharp, a new programmable optical filter delivering industry-leading fine (‘sharp') frequency resolution. Featuring a 5GHz resolution optical bandwidth, the WaveShaper 1000A Sharp offers approximately two times finer resolution than previously available programmable optical filters, generating extremely steep filter slopes for advanced optical network and photonics applications. Coherent is the first to introduce a fiber-optic programmable filter with this level of resolution and slope performance.
Optical networks for data center interconnects and long-haul telecommunications commonly incorporate multiple reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers (ROADMs), each contributing channel filtering effects. When cascaded, these filters can narrow the transmission spectrum and degrade signal quality. The WaveShaper 1000A Sharp enables network designers and system developers to accurately emulate and optimize these effects, supporting improved transmission performance in complex, meshed optical networks. In addition, applications such as microwave photonics, terahertz spectroscopy, and metrology require precise selection of spectral lines from optical frequency combs: the WaveShaper 1000A Sharp is uniquely suited to meet these requirements due to its ability to create steep and highly selective, programmable filter profiles.
"WaveShaper 1000A Sharp significantly enhances flexibility while reducing cost in the planning and design of meshed optical networks," said Dr. Ralf Stolte, Sr. Sales and Marketing Manager, Optical Communications Test Equipment at Coherent. "By replacing the need to cascade multiple ROADMs or wavelength selective switches with a single programmable instrument, customers can rapidly evaluate complex filter effects by defining the desired response in software."
The WaveShaper 1000A Sharp is available as a benchtop instrument for laboratory operation and works seamlessly with Coherent's WaveAnalyzer™ family of high-resolution optical spectrum analyzers. The product is orderable now and shipping immediately, and will be showcased at Photonics West, Booth 4805.
About Coherent
Coherent is the global photonics leader. We harness photons to drive innovation. Industry leaders in the datacenter, communications, and industrial markets rely on Coherent's world-leading technology to fuel their own innovation and growth. Founded in 1971 and operating in more than 20 countries, Coherent brings the industry's broadest, deepest technology stack; unmatched supply chain resilience; and global scale to help its customers solve their toughest technology challenges. Visit us at coherent.com.
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