Insider Brief
- Single Quantum and Qunnect are partnering with CERN’s Quantum Technology Initiative to establish a new quantum networking lab at CERN, the birthplace of the web.
- CERN integrated Single Quantum’s superconducting nanowire photon detectors with White Rabbit synchronization, while Qunnect deployed rack-mountable entanglement sources for synchronized distribution tests.
- The collaboration supports advanced metrology, time-synced entanglement, and co-propagation trials of quantum and classical channels on CERN’s fiber network.
PRESS RELEASE — Single Quantum, based in the Netherlands and developer of leading superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors, and Qunnect, headquartered in Brooklyn with a branch in Delft Netherlands, today announced a collaboration with CERN’s Quantum Technology Initiative to kick off its new quantum networking lab at the birthplace of the web.
CERN has integrated Single Quantum’s detectors with White Rabbit time-synchronization technology, achieving sub-nanosecond alignment of distant nodes. At the same time, Qunnect’s rack-mountable quantum entanglement sources have been deployed in CERN’s quantum networking lab, which was recently created in the framework of the Quantum Technology Initiative. Over the summer both detector and source hardware are being used by CERN researchers to enable synchronized entanglement distribution and co-propagation tests of classical and quantum signals.
Quantum networking represents not only a paradigm shift in secure communications but also use cases that are yet to be discovered. These trials are a core activity of CERN’s Quantum Technology Initiative (QTI). As Amanda Diez Fernandez, coordinating partnerships for the QTI, explains, “we’re creating an open, neutral platform to accelerate quantum research through cross-disciplinary collaborations, exploiting synergies across academia and industry of the Member States.” Annick Teepe, quantum network researcher at CERN highlights “Working with Qunnect and Single Quantum to stand up CERN’s Quantum Networking Lab has been an exciting step forward. We’re eager to keep pushing the boundaries together.”
“At Single Quantum we’ve engineered our superconducting nanowire detectors for unmatched timing precision and reliability. Seeing them plug in CERN’s lab proves our team’s commitment to empowering the world’s leading research institutions with the tools they need to pioneer quantum breakthroughs,” said Jessie Qin-Dregely, COO of Single Quantum.
“This partnership with CERN, Single Quantum, and Qunnect will advance quantum networking at the birthplace of White Rabbit Technology, which is well represented in Qunnect technology. In fact, Qunnect exists to usher quantum entanglement out of the lab and into standard telecom infrastructure, providing partners and customers with field-deployable products that are built for real-world innovation,” added Mael Flament, CTO of Qunnect.
Single Quantum, Qunnect, and CERN QTI are exploring advanced metrology schemes, time-synced entanglement tests, and the co-propagation of classical and quantum channels in installed fiber at the CERN campus.
Building a quantum internet takes a village, and the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology is a timely reminder that collaboration across disciplines and borders is key. Just as the early internet only unlocked its value once enough people were connected, the quantum internet requires a shared built infrastructure and investment.
