A chassis, comprising: a light source operable to multiplex a plurality of continuous wave light beams at different wavelengths onto a single optical fiber as a multiplexed light source; a photonic unit and a linecard on which the photonic unit is disposed, the photonic unit comprising: an optical demultiplexer operable to demultiplex the multiplexed light source carried over the optical fiber 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, wherein at least one of the optical power splitters is operable to output a single higher-power light beam at the same wavelength and power as the light beam input to that optical splitter, and remaining ones or one of the optical power splitters are each operable to output a plurality of lower-power light beams at the same wavelength and lower power than the light beam input to that optical splitter so that at least one of the light beams output by the optical power splitters has a higher power than the other light beams output by the optical power splitters, and wherein the photonic unit is operable to route the one or more higher-power ones of the light beams output by the optical power splitters off the linecard and the lower-power ones of the light beams output by the optical power splitters to another photonic unit on the same linecard based on wavelength. a light source operable to multiplex a plurality of continuous wave light beams at different wavelengths onto a single optical fiber as a multiplexed light source; a photonic unit and a linecard on which the photonic unit is disposed, the photonic unit comprising: an optical demultiplexer operable to demultiplex the multiplexed light source carried over the optical fiber 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, wherein at least one of the optical power splitters is operable to output a single higher-power light beam at the same wavelength and power as the light beam input to that optical splitter, and remaining ones or one of the optical power splitters are each operable to output a plurality of lower-power light beams at the same wavelength and lower power than the light beam input to that optical splitter so that at least one of the light beams output by the optical power splitters has a higher power than the other light beams output by the optical power splitters, and wherein the photonic unit is operable to route the one or more higher-power ones of the light beams output by the optical power splitters off the linecard and the lower-power ones of the light beams output by the optical power splitters to another photonic unit on the same linecard based on wavelength. an optical demultiplexer operable to demultiplex the multiplexed light source carried over the optical fiber 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, wherein at least one of the optical power splitters is operable to output a single higher-power light beam at the same wavelength and power as the light beam input to that optical splitter, and remaining ones or one of the optical power splitters are each operable to output a plurality of lower-power light beams at the same wavelength and lower power than the light beam input to that optical splitter so that at least one of the light beams output by the optical power splitters has a higher power than the other light beams output by the optical power splitters, and wherein the photonic unit is operable to route the one or more higher-power ones of the light beams output by the optical power splitters off the linecard and the lower-power ones of the light beams output by the optical power splitters to another photonic unit on the same linecard based on wavelength.