Cisco Unveils Quantum Entanglement Chip, Launches Quantum Labs in Santa Monica

Cisco has unveiled a prototype quantum network entanglement chip developed in partnership with UC Santa Barbara, aiming to accelerate the practical timeline for quantum computing by up to a decade. The chip generates up to one million entangled photon pairs per second at room temperature and is designed to network quantum computers together, enabling distributed quantum computing and scalable quantum data centers. This approach parallels how classical computing scaled through networking smaller nodes, allowing for practical and vendor-agnostic quantum systems rather than relying on a single large quantum computer. The chip is a foundational component of Cisco’s broader strategy, which includes quantum switches, entanglement distribution protocols, and quantum-secure communication infrastructure. Cisco also announced the opening of its dedicated Quantum Labs in Santa Monica to further quantum networking research. The company emphasizes that building network infrastructure now will allow quantum computing applications to arrive much sooner than previously expected.