Icarus Quantum, a Boulder-based specialist in quantum light sources, has been awarded a $400,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The funding will support the development of a packaged, commercial-grade solution for efficient photon sources, which are essential for building the next generation of quantum interconnects and distributed quantum computing networks.
The company’s core technology centers on semiconductor quantum dots—specifically Indium Arsenide (InAs) dots—coupled to high-quality optical cavities. Icarus Quantum claims its deterministic generator can achieve quantum efficiencies exceeding 70%, a significant leap over the roughly 1% efficiency of standard probabilistic entangled photon sources. This efficiency is critical for Quantum Low-Density Parity-Check (QLDPC) codes and other error-correction schemes that rely on high-fidelity, on-demand entanglement distribution across fiber-optic or satellite-based links.
Icarus Quantum serves as a prominent example of successful technology transfer, having spun out of NIST’s Quantum Nanophotonics Group in 2022. Beyond the Phase II award, the company operates under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) and holds an exclusive license for NIST’s quantum dot technology. This partnership allows Icarus to leverage specialized facilities at NIST Boulder to fabricate its “correct-first” photonic interconnects, positioning the company as a key supplier for the emerging quantum internet infrastructure.
Read the announcement from Founder and CEO Poolad Imany here and explore the technical overview of Icarus Quantum’s on-demand light generation here.
January 9, 2026
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