Mitsubishi Electric is pursuing optoelectronic fusion technology, which combines optical and electrical technologies, to increase the speed of data center communications while reducing power consumption. The report covers the roadmap for a project launched in 2026 and the status of joint development.
As the spread of AI increases the volume of data handled by data centers, the power required for processing and communications is also growing. Technology that can process data faster while reducing energy consumption is considered essential to solving this challenge, and optoelectronic fusion technology, which harnesses the advantages of both optical and electrical technologies, is attracting attention.
Optoelectronic fusion technology is based on placing devices that convert electrical signals into optical signals, and vice versa, close to semiconductor chips to reduce signal loss and power consumption. The introduction of CPO, or co-packaged optics, aims to place optical and electrical components close together within the same package.
The establishment in April 2026 of the Optoelectronic Fusion Device Project Group strengthened the development structure by drawing on experience with optical devices such as EMLs and compound semiconductor technologies. The team is promoting joint development that crosses the boundaries between optical and electrical fields.
The future roadmap calls for establishing the technology needed to commercialize co-packaged optics between 2028 and 2030. The project also looks ahead to potentially replacing most communications within data centers with optical technology and expresses a desire to expand it as social infrastructure.