Cisco Unveils Quantum Networking Chip Prototype

Cisco Systems announced Tuesday the development of a prototype chip designed to network quantum computers and revealed plans to open a new quantum computing lab in Santa Monica, California.

The chip leverages existing networking technology to connect smaller quantum machines into larger, more powerful systems.

"It generates pairs of entangled photons that enable instantaneous connection regardless of distance through quantum teleportation—what Einstein famously described as “spooky action at a distance," Cisco said in a blog post.

While full-scale quantum computing remains a longer-term goal, Cisco sees immediate potential in sectors like finance and science.

According to Cisco, the chip stands out with telecom-wavelength compatibility for existing fiber optics, room-temperature operation as a compact Photonic Integrated Chip, ultra-low power usage under 1mW, and exceptional performance—delivering 1 million high-fidelity entangled pairs per channel and up to 200 million pairs per second across the chip.

Cisco joins a growing list of major tech companies—including Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and NVIDIA—pushing into quantum computing. While many are focused on increasing the number of quantum bits, or qubits, Cisco is aiming to link them together.

"Beyond the entanglement chip, we’re using the lab to advance research prototypes of other critical components to complete our vision of the quantum networking stack, including entanglement distribution protocols, a distributed quantum computing compiler, Quantum Network Development Kit (QNDK), and a Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG) using quantum vacuum noise," Cisco said.