Cisco Systems announced the development of a networking chip that uses quantum mechanics. The prototype entanglement source chip, which the company claims can generate up to one million entangled photon pairs per second (at room temperature), was created through the Outshift by Cisco incubator in partnership with UC Santa Barbara. While other companies are building quantum computers, Cisco is focusing on infrastructure, network and security frameworks. The company has also opened a new research facility in Santa Monica, California — Cisco Quantum Labs — dedicated to quantum networking tech.

Vijoy Pandey, SVP of emerging technologies at Outshift by Cisco, writes in a blog post that the Quantum Network Entanglement Chip intends to help quantum computers tackle the challenges involved with scaling beyond only a few hundred qubits.

“Qubits are the basic unit of information in quantum computing, similar to the ‘bits’ in classical computers, and they boast unique properties that form the foundation of the technology’s vast potential,” explains SiliconANGLE. “Whereas traditional bits are represented either by a one or a zero, qubits can form a third state where they represent both a one and a zero at the same time. It’s this capability that enables them to perform vastly more complex computations than any classical computer can hope to do.”

“The challenge is that stabilizing these qubits is incredibly difficult, and according to Pandey, even the most ambitious roadmaps for quantum computers are targeting only a couple of thousand qubits by 2030,” adds SiliconANGLE, pointing out that “for quantum computing to become practical, it needs to scale to millions of qubits.”

“The new chip works with existing fiber-optic infrastructure and consumes less than 1 megawatt of power,” according to The Wall Street Journal. Functioning at room temperature makes the chip suitable for traditional data centers.

“Our thesis is pretty straightforward: To make [quantum computing] practical, you need to scale it out,” said Pandey. “You need a network, and to have a quantum network, you need a quantum entanglement chip. That’s the first building block.”

“We’re working toward more commercial fabrication,” according to Reza Nejabati, head of Quantum Research and Quantum Labs at Outshift by Cisco. “There’s a whole bunch of hardware and software technology that we’re bringing up. The quantum proof of concept is happening.”

“As for what’s next, Pandey says Cisco will work on software to help build out a quantum network and continue work on a quantum roadmap,” reports Fast Company.

“There’s going to be a ChatGPT moment for quantum,” he said. “We need to start putting the fundamental building blocks together to prepare.”