2026 AI Optical Trends: Co-Packaged Optics & Silicon Photonics

Optical interconnects in AI data centers are shifting from legacy pluggable optics toward LPO, CPO and OCS. LPO streamlines the signal chain to improve power while keeping a pluggable model, CPO co‑packages optics for higher density and efficiency, and OCS uses optical switching for large, dynamic AI networks, together forming key next‑generation infrastructure.

Key Highlights

• Optical interconnects are evolving from pluggable optics to LPO, CPO and OCS to remove bandwidth and scaling bottlenecks in AI training clusters.
• LPO eliminates DSPs and shortens electrical paths, cutting power and cost while preserving existing module ecosystems.
• CPO integrates optical engines into switch packages, boosting efficiency and integration and becoming a key next‑generation AI data center architecture.
• OCS replaces electrical with optical switching, enabling large, dynamic AI networks and fabrics, and complements CPO in deployment.
• As optical upgrades advance, AI infrastructure limits shift from networking to compute and memory resources rather than bandwidth constraints.