Optics and Photonics

46 reports
Optics and Photonics research tests physical laws and models through measurable quantities, mathematical predictions, and controlled experiments. Its scientific meaning is clarified through optical fibers, spectroscopy, and primary observations, with attention to testable predictions and limiting cases.

Spectroscopy and optical fibers make up the scientific record used here. Its limits become clearer when asking how losses limit devices and where quantum effects appear, keeping definitions, predictions, and observations from being conflated.

Xanadu and ASML target lower optical loss in silicon quantum chips

Xanadu Quantum Technologies and ASML have launched a technical collaboration to reduce optical propagation loss in integrated silicon photonic circuits, a key challenge for scalable fault-tolerant quantum computing hardware

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PsiQuantum Secures Major CHIPS Act Funding for Photonic Quantum Manufacturing

PsiQuantum has finalized a $100 million CHIPS Act award with the US Department of Commerce to accelerate domestic manufacturing of photonic quantum computing components and strengthen the onshore supply chain for advanced quantum hardware

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Japan Funds Optical Module R&D for Neutral-Atom Quantum Processors

Yaqumo Inc. and SCREEN Holdings have launched a joint project to develop high-speed optical modules for neutral-atom quantum processors, aiming to address hardware bottlenecks and strengthen Japan's domestic quantum supply chain

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Xanadu Targets 1,000 Logical Qubits in Photonic Quantum Roadmap

Xanadu has released a technical roadmap outlining its plans to scale photonic quantum hardware, reduce photon loss, and implement error correction, with the goal of reaching over 1,000 logical qubits by 2031 in networked quantum data centers

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Quantum Camera Startup Secures $10M+ for Sub-Diffraction Imaging

Diffraqtion has raised over $10 million in pre-seed funding to advance quantum-enabled optical sensing platforms that claim to resolve features far below the classical diffraction limit, targeting applications in space domain awareness and defense

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Canada Funds Xanadu's Inception Facility for Quantum Photonics Manufacturing

Xanadu has secured CAD $195 million in federal support to build the Inception facility in Toronto, aiming to advance photonic quantum computing hardware and supply chain integration as part of the CAD $893 million Project OPTIMISM

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Field Test Links Quantum Key Distribution Over 18 km Free-Space Channel

A team in Italy has demonstrated real-time quantum key distribution across an 18-kilometer free-space link using room-temperature detectors, integrating adaptive optics to overcome atmospheric turbulence and coupling the signal into standard fiber

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NIST Scales SNSPD Widths to 0.1 mm for Quantum Photonic Devices

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have demonstrated a superconducting nanowire single-photon detector with a 100-micrometer active width, addressing fabrication and noise challenges that have limited quantum photonic hardware

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Skyloom Deploys 84 Optical Terminals for Secure Space-Based Networks

Skyloom Global, now part of IonQ, has installed 84 optical communication terminals in low-Earth orbit, supporting the U.S. Space Development Agency's secure mesh network for military data transfer and future quantum networking applications

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Brookhaven and Stony Brook Send Entangled Photons 21 km Through Open Air

A team at Brookhaven National Laboratory and Stony Brook University has established a 21-kilometer free-space quantum link, transmitting single and entangled photons across the atmosphere to connect metropolitan quantum network nodes under real-world conditions

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Israel Launches Consortium for Quantum-Safe Communication Protocols

A new Israeli consortium led by Allot Ltd. brings together industry and academic partners to develop and test quantum-resistant communication protocols for optical, satellite, and mobile networks

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Quantinuum Expands Albuquerque R&D Hub for Trapped-Ion Photonics

Quantinuum will expand its Albuquerque facility with $1.5 million in city and state funding, focusing on integrated photonics for trapped-ion quantum processors and strengthening ties with national laboratories

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Strategic Shifts in Quantum Leadership Signal Industry Priorities

Recent appointments at PsiQuantum, EigenQ, Qunova Computing, and Optica Quantum highlight the evolving leadership landscape in quantum computing and photonics, as companies position themselves for the next phase of technical and commercial development

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Mountain West Quantum Alliances Launch Unified Testbed Network

A new agreement connects Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana quantum innovation hubs, opening shared testbeds and commercialization programs for advanced sensing, photonics, and quantum optics technologies

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Quantum Algorithms Target Photodynamic Cancer Drug Design Limits

Xanadu Quantum Technologies and the University of Alberta are developing quantum algorithms to simulate light-activated molecules for photodynamic cancer therapy, aiming to overcome classical computational bottlenecks in drug discovery

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16-Qubit Photonic Quantum Processor Demonstrated on Silicon Chip

A team from Hefei Guizhen Chip Technology and USTC has built a 16-qubit measurement-based quantum computing system on a silicon photonic chip, achieving high-fidelity operation using high-dimensional path encoding

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OpenLight and Tower Expand Photonic Chip Design With Integrated Lasers

OpenLight and Tower Semiconductor have released a photonic design kit for Cadence EDA tools, enabling engineers to develop high-speed photonic integrated circuits with on-chip lasers for data centers and optical systems

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Neutral-Atom Qubits Trapped Using Photonic Integrated Circuits

Pasqal has demonstrated trapping individual neutral atoms with laser light routed through a silicon nitride photonic chip, replacing bulk optics and addressing a key scaling challenge for neutral-atom quantum processors

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Quantum Optics Jena's ELVIS QKD Hardware Passes ISO Security Audit

Quantum Optics Jena's ELVIS quantum key distribution system has completed an independent ISO/IEC 23837 hardware security evaluation, testing for side-channel vulnerabilities in entanglement-based QKD devices

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Qunnect and Monarch Target Scalable Quantum Network Hardware

Qunnect and Monarch Quantum have announced a partnership to develop modular, miniaturized entanglement distribution hardware for quantum networks, aiming to reduce system size and cost through advanced photonic manufacturing techniques

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TuringQ Moves Toward IPO With Photonic Quantum Chip Production

TuringQ, a Shanghai-based company specializing in photonic quantum architectures, has begun pre-IPO tutoring as it seeks to become China's first publicly listed quantum computing firm. The company's pilot facility now manufactures thin-film lithium niobate photonic chips at wafer scale

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Xanadu Expands US Quantum Operations Amid Hardware and Algorithm Gains

Xanadu Quantum Technologies reported advances in photonic quantum hardware, algorithmic development, and US expansion, while disclosing a strengthened cash position and increased investment in fabrication and engineering

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Thailand Opens Quantum Club Hub to Advance Regional Quantum Technology

A new national quantum technology hub has launched at True Digital Park in Bangkok, aiming to accelerate quantum research, workforce training, and industrial adoption across Southeast Asia through coordinated government, academic, and industry collaboration

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Entangled Photons Sent Over 62 km of Live Aerial Fiber in Maryland

A team from NIST, the University of Maryland, and Qunnect has distributed polarization-entangled photons across 62 kilometers of commercial aerial fiber, testing quantum communication under real-world environmental noise

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Quantum-Safe Encryption Tested at 1.6 Tb/s on Live Fiber Network

A field deployment by Quantum Corridor, Ciena, and Toshiba has demonstrated quantum-safe optical encryption at 1.6 Tb/s over a commercial fiber link, combining post-quantum cryptography and quantum key distribution in a real-world setting

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QuiX Quantum Releases Alquor 2.0 Photonic Processor Platform

QuiX Quantum has launched Alquor 2.0, a rack-mountable photonic processor platform based on silicon nitride integrated circuits, aiming to support quantum optics and information processing research with improved stability and automation

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IonQ and Sandia Partner on Trapped-Ion Quantum Hardware for Security

IonQ and Sandia National Laboratories have agreed to jointly develop and test trapped-ion quantum hardware and integrated photonics for national security applications, focusing on system optimization and device characterization at Sandia's New Mexico facility

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IonQ and EPB Launch Quantum Memory Integration Testbed in Tennessee

IonQ and EPB are establishing a research center in Chattanooga to test commercial quantum memory hardware on a live fiber optic network, aiming to advance quantum communication infrastructure and evaluate real-world integration challenges

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PsiQuantum Funds Quantum Workforce Training in South Chicago

PsiQuantum has committed $250,000 to support STEM education, higher education, and technical training in South Chicago, aiming to build a local talent pipeline for the region's developing quantum technology sector

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OptQC and NTT Target Million-Qubit Optical Quantum Computer by 2030

OptQC and NTT have announced a capital and business alliance to develop a fault-tolerant optical quantum computer targeting one million physical qubits, with a roadmap spanning hardware, supply chain, and enterprise integration through 2030

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Vexlum Opens London Lab for High-Power Quantum Laser Development

Vexlum has established a dedicated R&D laboratory in London to advance high-power semiconductor lasers for quantum computing and precision measurement, appointing Dr. Stefan Truppe as Managing Director of Vexlum UK

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How to Watch the 2026 Solar Eclipse Safely in the UK

The August 12, 2026, eclipse will cover about 90% of the Sun in parts of the UK. Here is how to choose certified eye protection and compare viewing options without risking permanent damage

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Hybrid Quantum Interference Links Atomic and Semiconductor Photon Sources

Researchers in South Korea have directly demonstrated two-photon interference between a quantum dot and a warm cesium atomic vapor, achieving photon indistinguishability across distinct quantum hardware without active filtering or frequency conversion

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Custom Nanopositioning Platform Targets Photonic Processor Testing

A modular nanopositioning test system developed by SmarAct and Akhetonics enables precise optical and electro-optic characterization of advanced photonic integrated circuits, addressing key engineering challenges in scalable optical computing hardware

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Innolume Adds GEN2000 MBE System to Expand Quantum Dot Laser Output

Innolume has ordered a GEN2000 Molecular Beam Epitaxy system from Veeco to increase production of gallium arsenide quantum dot lasers for optical interconnects in AI and cloud data center infrastructure

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