  The Metaverse is a digital world that offers an immersive virtual experience.
However, the Metaverse applications are bandwidth-hungry and delay-sensitive
that require ultrahigh data rates, ultra-low latency, and hyper-intensive
computation. To cater for these requirements, optical communication arises as a
key pillar in bringing this paradigm into reality. We highlight in this paper
the potential of optical communications in the Metaverse. First, we set forth
Metaverse requirements in terms of capacity and latency; then, we introduce
ultra-high data rates requirements for various Metaverse experiences. Then, we
put forward the potential of optical communications to achieve these data rate
requirements in backbone, backhaul, fronthaul, and access segments. Both
optical fiber and optical wireless communication (OWC) technologies, as well as
their current and future expected data rates, are detailed. In addition, we
propose a comprehensive set of configurations, connectivity, and equipment
necessary for an immersive Metaverse experience. Finally, we identify a set of
key enablers and research directions such as analog neuromorphic optical
computing, optical intelligent reflective surfaces (IRS), hollow core fiber
(HCF), and terahertz (THz).
