8legs: Qunnect

#1 out of 1

Live quantum network test in New York overcomes 2 key hurdles in creating an 'unhackable' internet

Researchers in New York connected three quantum nodes over deployed fiber to form a metropolitan network.
The setup used a hub-and-spoke design with a central hub in Lower Manhattan and two outer spokes.
Entanglement swapping enabled the transfer of entanglement across distant links to create a multi-node network.
The experiment demonstrates metropolitan-scale quantum links can work with live telecom fibers outside the lab.
The hub centralizes cryogenic equipment, helping scalability by avoiding cooling needs at every node.
In the short term, the work supports quantum key distribution to protect sensitive data.
Longer-term goals include distributed quantum computing linking multiple devices.
Fiber loss and noise remain challenges for long-distance quantum links.
The test built on a 2023 demonstration connecting two nodes between Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Researchers documented entanglement distribution across five to six miles per leg.
The study was uploaded to arXiv on February 17, 2026, highlighting its ongoing peer-independent review.

Vote 0