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                                                                   Exhibit 10.9

                               AVANEX CORPORATION

                                 1998 STOCK PLAN

                             STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

     Unless otherwise defined herein, the terms defined in the 1998 Stock Plan,
as amended (the "Plan") shall have the same defined meanings in this Option
Agreement.

I.   NOTICE OF STOCK OPTION GRANT

     You have been granted an Option to purchase Common Stock of the Company,
subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Option Agreement, as
follows:

     Date of Grant

     Vesting Commencement Date

     Exercise Price per Share

     Total Number of Shares Granted

     Total Exercise Price

     Type of Option                           _____ Incentive Stock Option

                                              _____ Nonstatutory Stock Option

     Term/Expiration Date:


     Exercise and Vesting Schedule:

     Subject to accelerated vesting as set forth below, this Option may be
exercised, in whole or in part, in accordance to the following vesting schedule:

     25% of the Shares subject to the Option shall vest twelve months after the
Vesting Commencement Date, and 1/48 of the Shares subject to the Option shall
vest each month thereafter on the same day of the month as the Vesting
Commencement Date, subject to the Optionee continuing to be a Service Provider
on such dates.

     Acceleration Upon a Change of Control. Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon
a Change of Control, as defined below, that occurs while Optionee provides
services to the Company, this Option shall become vested and exercisable as to
fifty percent (50%) of the shares subject to this Option on

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the date the event constituting a Change of Control is consummated. The balance
of the shares subject to this Option shall continue to vest on the same schedule
(i.e., the same number of shares shall vest each month) as existed prior to the
Change of Control. For example, if a Change of Control occurs on a date when 25%
of Optionee's shares have vested, then an additional 25% of the shares shall be
vested pursuant to this paragraph. The remaining 50% of the shares subject to
this Option shall vest at the rate of 1/48th of the shares per month thereafter,
such that all shares are fully vested after an additional 24-month period. If a
Change of Control occurs on a date where more than 50% of Optionee's shares have
already vested, then no additional Shares shall vest pursuant to this paragraph.

     Acceleration Upon a Change of Control and Termination of Employment.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event the Optionee's employment with the
Company terminates as a result of an Involuntary Termination other than for
Cause upon or within 12 months after a Change of Control, this Option shall be
fully (i.e. 100%) vested and this Option may be exercised, in whole or in part,
upon the date of such termination.

     The following terms referred to in this Agreement shall have the following
meanings:

          (i) Cause. "Cause" shall mean (i) any act of personal dishonesty taken
     by the Optionee in connection with his responsibilities as an employee and
     intended to result in substantial personal enrichment of the Optionee, (ii)
     conviction of a felony that is injurious to the Company, and (iii) a
     willful act by the Optionee which constitutes gross misconduct and which is
     injurious to the Company.

          (ii) Change of Control. "Change of Control" shall mean the occurrence
     of any of the following events:

          Any "person" (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the
          Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) is or becomes the
          "beneficial owner" (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under said Act), directly
          or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing 50% or more
          of the total voting power represented by the Company's then
          outstanding voting securities other than in a private financing
          transaction approved by the Board of Directors;

          the direct or indirect sale or exchange by the stockholders of the
          Company of all or substantially all of the stock of the Company;

          a merger or consolidation in which the Company is a party and in which
          the stockholders of the Company before such merger or consolidation do
          not retain, directly or indirectly, at a least majority of the
          beneficial interest in the voting stock of the Company after such
          transaction; or

          the sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all the
          Company's assets.

          (iii) Disability. "Disability" shall mean that the Optionee has been
     unable to substantially perform his duties as the result of his incapacity
     due to physical or mental illness, and such inability, at least 26 weeks
     after its commencement, is determined to be total and

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     permanent by a physician selected by the Company or its insurers and
     acceptable to the Optionee or the Optionee's legal representative (such
     agreement as to acceptability not to be unreasonably withheld).

          (iv) Involuntary Termination. "Involuntary Termination" shall mean (i)
     without the Optionee's express written consent, the significant reduction
     of the Optionee's duties or responsibilities relative to the Optionee's
     duties or responsibilities in effect immediately prior to such reduction;
     provided, however, that a reduction in duties or responsibilities solely by
     virtue of the Company being acquired and made part of a larger entity (as,
     for example, when the Chief Financial Officer of Company remains as such
     following a Change of Control and is not made the Chief Financial Officer
     of the acquiring corporation) shall not constitute an "Involuntary
     Termination"; (ii) without the Optionee's express written consent, a
     substantial reduction, without good business reasons, of the facilities and
     perquisites (including office space and location) available to the Optionee
     immediately prior to such reduction; (iii) without the Optionee's express
     written consent, a material reduction by the Company in the base
     compensation of the Optionee as in effect immediately prior to such
     reduction, or the ineligibility of the Optionee to continue to participate
     in any long-term incentive plan of the Company; (iv) a material reduction
     by the Company in the kind or level of employee benefits to which the
     Optionee is entitled immediately prior to such reduction with the result
     that the Optionee's overall benefits package is significantly reduced; (v)
     the relocation of the Optionee to a facility or a location more than 50
     miles from the Optionee's then present location, without the Optionee's
     express written consent; (vi) any purported termination of the Optionee by
     the Company which is not effected for death or Disability or for Cause, or
     any purported termination for which the grounds relied upon are not valid;
     or (vii) the failure of the Company to obtain the assumption of this
     agreement by any successors contemplated in Section I.(ii) above.

     Termination Period:

     This Option may be exercised for three months after Optionee ceases to be a
Service Provider. Upon the death or Disability of the Optionee, this Option may
be exercised for twelve months after Optionee ceases to be a Service Provider.
In no event shall this Option be exercised later than the Term/Expiration Date
as provided above.

     In addition, upon an Involuntary Termination of the Optionee's employement
other than for Cause upon or within 12 months after a Change of Control, this
Option may be exercised for twenty-four months after Optionee ceases to be a
Service Provider.


II.  AGREEMENT

     A.   Grant of Option.

     The Plan Administrator of the Company hereby grants to the Optionee named
in the Notice of Grant attached as Part I of this Agreement (the "Optionee") an
option (the "Option") to purchase the number of Shares, as set forth in the
Notice of Grant, at the exercise price per share set forth in the Notice of
Grant (the "Exercise Price"), subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan,
which is incorporated herein by reference. Subject to Section 15(c) of the Plan,
in the event of a

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conflict between the terms and conditions of the Plan and the terms and
conditions of this Option Agreement, the terms and conditions of the Plan shall
prevail.

     If designated in the Notice of Grant as an Incentive Stock Option ("ISO"),
this Option is intended to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option under Section
422 of the Code. However, if this Option is intended to be an Incentive Stock
Option, to the extent that it exceeds the $100,000 rule of Code Section 422(d)
it shall be treated as a Nonstatutory Stock Option ("NSO").

     B.   Exercise of Option.

     (a) Right to Exercise. This Option is exercisable during its term in
accordance with the Vesting Schedule set out in the Notice of Grant and the
applicable provisions of the Plan and this Option Agreement.

     (b) Method of Exercise. This Option is exercisable by delivery of an
exercise notice, in the form attached as Exhibit A (the "Exercise Notice"),
which shall state the election to exercise the Option, the number of Shares in
respect of which the Option is being exercised (the "Exercised Shares"), and
such other representations and agreements as may be required by the Company
pursuant to the provisions of the Plan. The Exercise Notice shall be completed
by the Optionee and delivered to the Company. The Exercise Notice shall be
accompanied by payment of the aggregate Exercise Price as to all Exercised
Shares. This Option shall be deemed to be exercised upon receipt by the Company
of such fully executed Exercise Notice accompanied by such aggregate Exercise
Price.

     No Shares shall be issued pursuant to the exercise of this Option unless
such issuance and exercise complies with Applicable Laws. Assuming such
compliance, for income tax purposes the Exercised Shares shall be considered
transferred to the Optionee on the date the Option is exercised with respect to
such Exercised Shares.

     C.   Method of Payment.

     Payment of the aggregate Exercise Price shall be by any of the following,
or a combination thereof, at the election of the Optionee:

          1.   cash; or

          2.   check; or

          3.   consideration received by the Company under a cashless exercise
               program implemented by the Company in connection with the Plan;
               or

          4.   surrender of other Shares which (i) in the case of Shares
               acquired upon exercise of an option, have been owned by the
               Optionee for more than six (6) months on the date of surrender,
               and (ii) have a Fair Market Value on the date of surrender equal
               to the aggregate Exercise Price of the Exercised Shares.

     D.   Non-Transferability of Option.

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     This Option may not be transferred in any manner otherwise than by will or
by the laws of descent or distribution and may be exercised during the lifetime
of Optionee only by the Optionee. The terms of the Plan and this Option
Agreement shall be binding upon the executors, administrators, heirs, successors
and assigns of the Optionee.

     E.   Term of Option.

     This Option may be exercised only within the term set out in the Notice of
Grant, and may be exercised during such term only in accordance with the Plan
and the terms of this Option Agreement.

     F.   Tax Consequences.

     Some of the federal tax consequences relating to this Option, as of the
date of this Option, are set forth below. THIS SUMMARY IS NECESSARILY
INCOMPLETE, AND THE TAX LAWS AND REGULATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. THE OPTIONEE
SHOULD CONSULT A TAX ADVISER BEFORE EXERCISING THIS OPTION OR DISPOSING OF THE
SHARES.

     G.   Exercising the Option.

     1. Nonstatutory Stock Option. The Optionee may incur regular federal income
tax liability upon exercise of a NSO. The Optionee will be treated as having
received compensation income (taxable at ordinary income tax rates) equal to the
excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value of the Exercised Shares on the date of
exercise over their aggregate Exercise Price. If the Optionee is an Employee or
a former Employee, the Company will be required to withhold from his or her
compensation or collect from Optionee and pay to the applicable taxing
authorities an amount in cash equal to a percentage of this compensation income
at the time of exercise, and may refuse to honor the exercise and refuse to
deliver Shares if such withholding amounts are not delivered at the time of
exercise.

     2. Incentive Stock Option. If this Option qualifies as an ISO, the Optionee
will have no regular federal income tax liability upon its exercise, although
the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value of the Exercised Shares on the date
of exercise over their aggregate Exercise Price will be treated as an adjustment
to alternative minimum taxable income for federal tax purposes and may subject
the Optionee to alternative minimum tax in the year of exercise. In the event
that the Optionee ceases to be an Employee but remains a Service Provider, any
Incentive Stock Option of the Optionee that remains unexercised shall cease to
qualify as an Incentive Stock Option and will be treated for tax purposes as a
Nonstatutory Stock Option on the date three (3) months and one (1) day following
such change of status.

     3. Disposition of Shares.

          (a) NSO. If the Optionee holds NSO Shares for at least one year, any
     gain realized on disposition of the Shares will be treated as long-term
     capital gain for federal income tax purposes.

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          (b) ISO. If the Optionee holds ISO Shares for at least one year after
     exercise and two years after the grant date, any gain realized on
     disposition of the Shares will be treated as long-term capital gain for
     federal income tax purposes. If the Optionee disposes of ISO Shares within
     one year after exercise or two years after the grant date, any gain
     realized on such disposition will be treated as compensation income
     (taxable at ordinary income rates) to the extent of the excess, if any, of
     the lesser of (A) the difference between the Fair Market Value of the
     Shares acquired on the date of exercise and the aggregate Exercise Price,
     or (B) the difference between the sale price of such Shares and the
     aggregate Exercise Price. Any additional gain will be taxed as capital
     gain, short-term or long-term depending on the period that the ISO Shares
     were held.

          (c) Notice of Disqualifying Disposition of ISO Shares. If the Optionee
     sells or otherwise disposes of any of the Shares acquired pursuant to an
     ISO on or before the later of (i) two years after the grant date, or (ii)
     one year after the exercise date, the Optionee shall immediately notify the
     Company in writing of such disposition. The Optionee agrees that he or she
     may be subject to income tax withholding by the Company on the compensation
     income recognized from such early disposition of ISO Shares by payment in
     cash or out of the current earnings paid to the Optionee.

     H.   Entire Agreement; Governing Law.

     The Plan is incorporated herein by reference. The Plan and this Option
Agreement constitute the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the
subject matter hereof and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and
agreements of the Company and Optionee with respect to the subject matter
hereof, and may not be modified adversely to the Optionee's interest except by
means of a writing signed by the Company and Optionee. This agreement is
governed by the internal substantive laws, but not the choice of law rules, of
California.

     I.   NO GUARANTEE OF CONTINUED SERVICE.

     OPTIONEE ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT THE VESTING OF SHARES PURSUANT TO THE
VESTING SCHEDULE HEREOF IS EARNED ONLY BY CONTINUING AS A SERVICE PROVIDER AT
THE WILL OF THE COMPANY (AND NOT THROUGH THE ACT OF BEING HIRED, BEING GRANTED
AN OPTION OR PURCHASING SHARES HEREUNDER). OPTIONEE FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGES AND
AGREES THAT THIS AGREEMENT, THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREUNDER AND THE
VESTING SCHEDULE SET FORTH HEREIN DO NOT CONSTITUTE AN EXPRESS OR IMPLIED
PROMISE OF CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT AS A SERVICE PROVIDER FOR THE VESTING PERIOD,
FOR ANY PERIOD, OR AT ALL, AND SHALL NOT INTERFERE WITH OPTIONEE'S RIGHT OR THE
COMPANY'S RIGHT TO TERMINATE OPTIONEE'S RELATIONSHIP AS A SERVICE PROVIDER AT
ANY TIME, WITH OR WITHOUT CAUSE.

     By your signature and the signature of the Company's representative below,
you and the Company agree that this Option is granted under and governed by the
terms and conditions of the Plan and this Option Agreement. Optionee has
reviewed the Plan and this Option Agreement in their entirety, has had an
opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel prior to executing this Option
Agreement and fully understands all provisions of the Plan and Option Agreement.
Optionee hereby agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions
or interpretations of the Administrator

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upon any questions relating to the Plan and Option Agreement. Optionee further
agrees to notify the Company upon any change in the residence address indicated
below.

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OPTIONEE:                                  AVANEX CORPORATION

_____________________________________      By__________________________________
Signature

_____________________________________      ____________________________________
Print Name                                 Title

_____________________________________
Residence Address

_____________________________________

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                                    EXHIBIT A

                               AVANEX CORPORATION

                                 1998 STOCK PLAN

                                 EXERCISE NOTICE

Avanex Corporation
40919 Encyclopedia Circle
Fremont, CA 94538

Attention:  Secretary

     1. Exercise of Option. Effective as of today, ________________, _____, the
undersigned ("Purchaser") hereby elects to purchase ______________ shares (the
"Shares") of the Common Stock of Avanex Corporation (the "Company") under and
pursuant to the 1998 Stock Plan (the "Plan") and the Stock Option Agreement
dated, _____ (the "Option Agreement"). The purchase price for the Shares shall
be $_____, as required by the Option Agreement.

     2. Delivery of Payment. Purchaser herewith delivers to the Company the full
purchase price for the Shares.

     3. Representations of Purchaser. Purchaser acknowledges that Purchaser has
received, read and understood the Plan and the Option Agreement and agrees to
abide by and be bound by their terms and conditions.

     4. Rights as Stockholder. Until the issuance (as evidenced by the
appropriate entry on the books of the Company or of a duly authorized transfer
agent of the Company) of the Shares, no right to vote or receive dividends or
any other rights as a stockholder shall exist with respect to the Optioned
Stock, notwithstanding the exercise of the Option. The Shares so acquired shall
be issued to the Optionee as soon as practicable after exercise of the Option.
No adjustment will be made for a dividend or other right for which the record
date is prior to the date of issuance, except as provided in Section 13 of the
Plan.

     5. Tax Consultation. Purchaser understands that Purchaser may suffer
adverse tax consequences as a result of Purchaser's purchase or disposition of
the Shares. Purchaser represents that Purchaser has consulted with any tax
consultants Purchaser deems advisable in connection with the purchase or
disposition of the Shares and that Purchaser is not relying on the Company for
any tax advice.

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     6. Entire Agreement; Governing Law. The Plan and Option Agreement are
incorporated herein by reference. This Agreement, the Plan and the Option
Agreement constitute the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the
subject matter hereof and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and
agreements of the Company and Purchaser with respect to the subject matter
hereof, and may not be modified adversely to the Purchaser's interest except by
means of a writing signed by the Company and Purchaser. This agreement is
governed by the internal substantive laws, but not the choice of law rules, of
California.

Submitted by:                              Accepted by:

PURCHASER:                                 AVANEX CORPORATION


_____________________________________      ____________________________________
Signature                                  By

_____________________________________      ____________________________________
Print Name

Address:                                   Address:
-------                                    -------

_____________________________________      AVANEX CORPORATION


_____________________________________      40919 Encyclopedia Circle
                                           Fremont, CA 94538


                                           ____________________________________
                                           Date Received

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