Wavelength based optical power positioning for information and communications technology systems

A linecard, comprising:

• an external light source port operable to input a multiplexed light source wherein the multiplexed light source comprises a plurality of continuous wave light beams at different wavelengths;
• and
• a photonic unit comprising:
• an optical demultiplexer operable to demultiplex the multiplexed light source based on wavelength to recover the continuous wave light beams;
• and
• a plurality of optical power splitters each operable to input one of the recovered continuous wave light beams from the optical demultiplexer and output one or more light beams at the same wavelength and at the same or lower power as the light beam input to that optical splitter so that at least one of the light beams output by the optical splitters has a higher power than the other light beams output by the optical splitters,
• wherein the photonic unit is operable to route one or more higher-power ones of the light beams output by the optical splitters off the linecard and one or more lower-power ones of the light beams output by the optical splitters to another photonic unit on the same linecard based on wavelength.