Company introduces its Quantum Network Entanglement Chip, a research prototype designed to scale quantum networks and interconnect quantum processors for meaningful, practical use
Cisco has announced the development of quantum networking technology that lays the foundation for the quantum internet. This potentially brings practical quantum computing forward by decades, accelerating the timeline for real-world quantum computing and networking applications to just 5 – 10 years.
As part of this initiative, Cisco has introduced its Quantum Network Entanglement Chip, a research prototype designed to scale quantum networks and interconnect quantum processors for meaningful, practical use. The company also announced the launch of the Cisco Quantum Labs, a dedicated research facility in Santa Monica, California, where Cisco’s quantum scientists and engineers are developing next-generation quantum networking technologies.
Mohannad Abuissa, Director of Solutions Engineering at Cisco Middle East, Africa, Türkiye, Romania, and CIS, commented: “Quantum computing holds the promise to solve problems that are beyond the reach of even today’s most powerful supercomputers. With our Quantum Network Entanglement Chip and the launch of Cisco Quantum Labs, we are laying the groundwork for scalable, real-world quantum networks. This is not just about preparing for the future, it’s about enabling breakthroughs in security, communication, and computing that can begin delivering value today.”
The Quantum Network Entanglement Chip
Developed in collaboration with UC Santa Barbara, Cisco’s Quantum Network Entanglement Chip is a research prototype that generates pairs of entangled photons, enabling instantaneous connection regardless of distance through quantum teleportation.
Key differentiators of the chip include:
- Works with existing infrastructure: Operates at standard telecom wavelengths and can therefore leverage existing fiber optic infrastructure
- Practical deployment: Functions at room temperature as a miniaturized Photonic Integrated Chip (PIC), making it suitable for scalable system deployment today
- Energy efficiency: Consumes less than 1mW of power
- High performance: 1 million high-fidelity entanglement pairs per output channel, with a rate of up to 200 million entanglement pairs per second in chip
Much like classical computing evolved by connecting smaller nodes into distributed data centers, the future of quantum will follow a similar trajectory. Rather than focusing on a single monolithic quantum computer, companies building quantum processors will benefit from Cisco’s quantum networking technologies to scale their systems. By building this infrastructure now, Cisco is helping to accelerate the entire quantum ecosystem.
From Lab to Reality
The Cisco Quantum Labs facility in Santa Monica will serve as a facility where Cisco researchers can experiment with quantum networking solutions that bridge both theoretical concepts and practical implementation.
Beyond the entanglement chip, Cisco is using the lab to advance research prototypes of other critical components to meet their vision of the quantum networking stack, including entanglement distribution protocols, a distributed quantum computing compiler, Quantum Network Development Kit (QNDK), and a Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG) using quantum vacuum noise.
In parallel, Cisco is implementing Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) NIST standards across their portfolio, ensuring classical networks remain secure in a post-quantum world.
Advancing Quantum Networking in Two Strategic Directions
Cisco’s quantum networking roadmap follows two strategic paths:
- Quantum Network for the Quantum World: Cisco is building infrastructure to connect quantum processors at scale, enabling distributed quantum computing, quantum sensing, and optimization algorithms that could transform critical applications such as drug discovery, materials science, and complex logistics problems. Their quantum network entanglement chip is foundational to this vision.
- Quantum Network for the Classical World: While practical quantum computing problems might be a few years away, quantum networking principles offer immediate benefits to classical systems through use cases such as eavesdropper-proof secure communication, ultra-precise time synchronization, decision signaling, and secure location verification.
Cisco’s approach is both software and hardware developments. By developing the company’s own network hardware components such as the chip alongside the full software stack, Cisco gains unique insights into how these elements work together to build complete quantum networking infrastructure. While some companies focus solely on one type of quantum computing technology (superconducting, ion trap, or neutral atom-based systems), Cisco is building a vendor-agnostic framework that works with any quantum computing technology. This approach mirrors Cisco’s historical strength in networking wherein they are building the networking fabric that will enable various quantum technologies to scale.
