Global Optical Computing Market 2026-2036: Size, Trends, and Forecasts | AI Infrastructure, Co-Packaged Optics, and Quantum Photonics Unlock New Growth

Dublin, Oct. 19, 2026 -- "The Global Optical Computing Market 2026-2036" has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global optical computing market is entering a pivotal period as artificial intelligence infrastructure, photonic quantum computing and semiconductor-scale silicon photonics manufacturing converge. Rising bandwidth requirements, escalating data centre energy consumption and advances in photonic integration are accelerating the transition from electronic to optical technologies across computing, communications, sensing and quantum systems.

Market growth is expected to unfold through several connected adoption waves. The first is the expansion of optical interconnects within AI data centres and high-performance computing environments. Large GPU clusters increasingly require 800G and higher-speed connectivity, creating strong demand for photonic integrated circuits, advanced optical transceivers and co-packaged optics. Co-packaged optics - integrating optical transceivers directly onto switch ASIC packages - is moving from pilot programmes toward volume production between 2026 and 2028. This transition is expected to increase photonic content across hyperscale infrastructure and support rapid market growth through 2030.

Photonic AI processing represents the next major opportunity. Optical matrix multiplication engines can execute the linear algebra operations required for neural network inference with significantly lower energy consumption than conventional GPU-based systems. Companies including Lightmatter, Luminous Computing and Optalysys are progressing toward commercial deployment during the 2027-2031 period. As AI models expand toward trillions of parameters, energy efficiency, processing speed and infrastructure scalability will become increasingly important competitive factors.

Photonic quantum computing provides a further long-term growth pathway. Private investment increased substantially in 2025, supported by PsiQuantum's $1 billion Series E, Xanadu's NASDAQ listing and Microsoft-backed financing for Photonic Inc. These developments demonstrate growing confidence in foundry-compatible photonic architectures as a potential route to fault-tolerant quantum computing at scale.

The report delivers comprehensive optical computing market intelligence across 430 pages, supported by 110 data tables and 55 market forecast figures. It provides ten-year forecasts from 2026 to 2036, technology assessments, supply chain analysis and profiles of 93 companies across the optical computing value chain. Coverage incorporates major developments from 2025 and 2026, including PsiQuantum's Omega chipset, the commercial expansion of 800G co-packaged optics and Xanadu's public market listing.

Key areas covered in the report include:

• Optical computing market forecasts: Thirty forecast tables analyse the global market by technology, application, geography, photonic integrated circuit material platform, transceiver data rate and quantum technology sub-segment. Projections include CAGR calculations and market drivers for 2026-2036.
• Photonic integrated circuits: Analysis covers PIC architecture, component development, heterogeneous integration, foundry capabilities, wafer scaling and manufacturing economics.
• Materials and manufacturing: Platforms assessed include silicon-on-insulator, silicon nitride, indium phosphide, thin-film lithium niobate, barium titanate, gallium arsenide, diamond, aluminium nitride and electro-optic polymers. The report also evaluates wafer bonding, flip-chip bonding, micro-transfer printing, testing and packaging.
• Optical processors: Coverage includes digital, analog AI/ML, neuromorphic and Fourier optical processing, alongside competitive assessments of commercial-stage developers.
• Quantum photonics: The report examines fusion-based quantum computing, GKP continuous-variable systems, measurement-based computation, quantum networking, quantum key distribution, quantum random number generation and quantum sensing.
• Optical interconnects and co-packaged optics: Analysis addresses chip-to-chip connectivity, data centre interconnect standards, 2D, 2.5D and 3D packaging, CPO architectures and the technology roadmap through 2036.
• End-market applications: Quantitative forecasts cover data centres and HPC, telecommunications, quantum computing and communications, automotive and LiDAR, aerospace and defence, healthcare and biomedical applications, and industrial sensing and IoT.

The report also benchmarks thirteen commercial PIC foundries and maps six generations of PIC architecture development between 2026 and 2036. Technology roadmaps assess photonic-electronic integration, scalable quantum photonic architectures, quantum error correction, AI-assisted PIC design, automated testing, advanced packaging and 3D integration.

Strategic analysis identifies 25 technical challenges and associated mitigation pathways, alongside commercial barriers involving cost, adoption, manufacturing capacity and standardisation. Emerging opportunities are evaluated across AI acceleration, 5G/6G networks, green computing, quantum technologies, energy efficiency standards and material sustainability.

Company coverage spans silicon photonics, PIC platforms, optical interconnects, co-packaged optics, photonic AI processors, quantum computing, quantum communications, sensing, foundries and component suppliers. Profiled organisations include AIM Photonics, Black Semiconductor, Celestial AI, GlobalFoundries, HyperLight, IBM, ID Quantique, Infineon Technologies, IonQ, Lightelligence, Lightmatter, Ligentec, LioniX, Microsoft, Neurophos and other established and emerging market participants.

Supported by 145 active references, a structured research methodology and detailed market segmentation, the report provides decision-makers with actionable intelligence for technology strategy, investment analysis, competitive benchmarking, procurement and product development within the global optical computing market.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/r6p032

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