Qunnect and Cisco Achieve Metro-Scale Quantum Entanglement Swapping Over Commercial Fiber Network
Qunnect and Cisco Achieve Metro-Scale Quantum Entanglement Swapping Over Commercial Fiber Network
Synopsis- Qunnect and Cisco successfully demonstrated high-speed entanglement swapping across a metro-scale fiber network using deployed telecom infrastructure.
- The system achieved record swapping rates and maintained exceptional signal fidelity, proving readiness for real-world quantum networking deployment.
- The demonstration validates a scalable hub-and-spoke quantum network model using commercial data centers and independent quantum sources.
Qunnect has announced a breakthrough demonstration of quantum entanglement swapping conducted over deployed metro-scale telecommunications fiber using a commercial quantum networking platform. According to the report published by HPCwire, the experiment combined Qunnect’s room-temperature quantum hardware with Cisco’s quantum networking software stack, marking a critical advancement toward scalable, deployable quantum networks based on existing infrastructure.
The milestone experiment was carried out on Qunnect’s GothamQ testbed, a quantum networking environment operating across New York City. The network covered a distance of 17.6 kilometers using installed telecom fiber connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan through QTD Systems’ data center located at 60 Hudson Street. The scientific findings were documented in a paper made available on ArXiv, reinforcing the credibility and reproducibility of the results.
The collaboration achieved record-setting entanglement swapping performance, reaching rates exceeding 1.7 million entangled photon pairs per hour under local conditions and 5,400 pairs per hour across deployed fiber. These results represent nearly a 10,000-fold improvement compared with earlier benchmarks using comparable systems. The experiment also achieved another significant milestone as the first successful demonstration of polarization entanglement swapping over deployed fiber infrastructure while maintaining polarization fidelity exceeding 99 percent. According to HPCwire, this performance confirms that the integrated system can operate reliably within one of the most demanding telecommunications environments in the world, establishing a practical framework for distributed quantum computing and metro-scale quantum network deployment.
Mehdi Namazi, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of Qunnect, emphasized the importance of the achievement, stating that entanglement swapping serves as a foundational operation required for the development of the quantum internet. He noted that the team not only surpassed previous records in both speed and scalability but also accomplished the feat using operational telecom fiber infrastructure in New York City, widely regarded as one of the most complex and noisy fiber environments globally. Namazi added that the milestone represents a long-anticipated advancement for the quantum networking field and was made possible through the collaboration between Cisco and Qunnect.
Several performance milestones were reached during the demonstration. The system delivered exceptionally high throughput, achieving record entanglement swapping rates both locally and across deployed infrastructure. Signal stability remained consistently high, supported by a fully automated system operating continuously around the clock. The architecture also introduced a cost-efficient design by deploying room-temperature detectors at network endpoints while concentrating cryogenic components exclusively at a central hub, significantly lowering the financial barriers associated with scaling quantum networks. In addition, the system demonstrated untethered scalability by using independent entanglement sources that do not rely on shared laser synchronization, allowing modular expansion without complex physical interdependencies.
At the core of the network was Qunnect’s Carina system, a turnkey quantum technology designed to generate entangled photon pairs. To preserve signal integrity across long distances, Qunnect deployed its Automatic Polarization Controllers, which continuously corrected polarization drift—a longstanding obstacle in real-world fiber-based quantum communication. These stabilization technologies ensured consistent performance despite environmental fluctuations inherent to urban telecom networks.
Cisco’s unified quantum networking software stack played a central orchestration role in the demonstration. The software functioned as an autonomous control system, coordinating quantum hardware across geographically distributed nodes. According to the HPCwire report, Cisco’s platform operated similarly to a digital traffic management system, dynamically managing entanglement distribution and swapping processes throughout the network.
Reza Nejabati, Head of Quantum Research at Cisco, stated that the demonstration represents a major step toward realizing large-scale quantum networking infrastructure. He explained that Cisco’s orchestration software enabled reliable entanglement distribution and swapping capabilities, both of which are essential requirements for distributed quantum computing systems and the development of a global quantum networking grid.
Traditional quantum networking systems have often relied on a shared master laser to maintain synchronization between nodes, creating a physical limitation that restricts scalability. In contrast, Qunnect’s approach uses independent atomic sources, removing the need for shared laser synchronization. This decoupled design allows the implementation of a hub-and-spoke architecture, where new network nodes can be added without requiring dedicated synchronization links to every existing node. According to HPCwire, this architectural shift significantly improves scalability and represents a foundational step toward practical, entanglement-based quantum networks capable of supporting distributed quantum computing.
The successful demonstration establishes a real-world blueprint for metro-scale quantum networking using existing telecommunications infrastructure. By validating both performance and scalability under operational conditions, the collaboration between Qunnect and Cisco moves quantum networking closer to practical deployment across commercial data centers and metropolitan fiber networks.
Source: HPCwire – Have a Story? Address it to the Editor and submit it here
About Qunnect
Qunnect develops deployable quantum networking infrastructure designed to deliver secure and scalable connectivity using existing fiber optic networks. Based in the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York, the company achieved a significant milestone in 2021 by commercializing the world’s first room-temperature quantum memory. Qunnect’s Carina technology suite includes entanglement sources and advanced signal stabilization systems that enable operational quantum networks without requiring extensive cryogenic infrastructure at every node. Its solutions currently support live quantum networking deployments in major cities including New York City and Berlin. The company’s technology is designed to serve industries such as telecommunications, finance, energy, and defense, where secure data transmission and distributed computing capabilities are increasingly critical. By focusing on scalable, field-ready quantum networking systems compatible with existing fiber infrastructure, Qunnect aims to accelerate the transition from experimental quantum communication to commercially viable quantum network deployment.
Featured image Source: HPCwire
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