Researchers at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and the University of Rochester have successfully developed and demonstrated the Rochester Quantum Network (RoQNET), a quantum communications testbed connecting their campuses via 11 miles of optical fiber. The system transmits information using single photons at room temperature, advancing efforts toward scalable and secure quantum communications using existing telecom infrastructure.
RoQNET serves as a prototype for distributed quantum entanglement over fiber lines. The team uses integrated quantum photonic chips for generating entangled photons, and solid-state-based quantum memory nodes. These technologies are considered essential for the development of quantum internet infrastructure that can interconnect various types of qubits across long distances. The researchers plan to expand RoQNET to connect with other major facilities across New York state, including Brookhaven National Lab, Stony Brook University, and the Air Force Research Laboratory.
The experimental work, led by RIT Ph.D. student Vijay Sundaram and supported by the Air Force Research Laboratory, aims to demonstrate how complex bulk optics quantum experiments can be miniaturized onto microchips. Co-lead researcher Nickolas Vamivakas emphasized the importance of RoQNET’s unique combination of integrated photon sources and memory nodes as a step toward practical quantum networks.
Read more in RIT’s official announcement here and access the full research paper in Optica Quantum here.
May 6, 2025
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