New Mexico’s $450 million investment in quantum technologies is attracting leading companies to a newly established network designed for secure communication and advanced sensing. Qunnect, a Brooklyn-based firm, built the open-access ABQ-Net through a contract with Roadrunner Venture Studios, offering companies live quantum testing without massive infrastructure costs. Infleqtion, Bandelier Technologies, Tensora, and Aliro Technologies are the first to utilize the network, exploring applications ranging from missile defense to geological monitoring. Matt Kinsella, Chief Executive Officer of Infleqtion, said Infleqtion plans to use ABQ-Net’s testing ground to validate coherent networked quantum sensors synchronized via quantum timing to drive future applications from missile defense to autonomous systems. The network’s physics-based security model aims to provide protections beyond those of classical networks.
ABQ-Net: First US Open-Access Entanglement-Based Quantum Network
New Mexico has established the first open-access entanglement-based quantum network in the United States, known as ABQ-Net, signaling a substantial commitment to quantum technology development. This $450 million investment by the state aims to foster quantum company creation and attract leading firms to the region. The design of ABQ-Net centers on a physics-based security model intended to surpass the protections offered by classical networks. Infleqtion, a leader in neutral atom quantum solutions, intends to utilize the network for research focused on achieving ultra-precise and highly secure timing synchronization using both atomic clocks and entangled particles, with potential applications extending beyond defense into finance and 6G telecommunications. Tensora is also exploring innovative applications, specifically quantum-inspired sensing technologies to detect subtle geological changes.
The company aims to improve its geosensing capabilities by analyzing unique datasets generated by ABQ-Net, supporting applications in natural hazard detection and infrastructure resilience. Bandelier Technologies, a Santa Fe-based deep-tech company, will investigate how quantum entanglement and artificial intelligence can bolster the security of critical infrastructure networks, building on its existing ties to Los Alamos National Laboratory and the DARPA ERIS Marketplace. Aliro, backed by Cisco and Accenture, is demonstrating its AlirOS KeyGen stack on the network’s fiber infrastructure, validating real-time entanglement-based secure key generation for customers in defense, finance, and telecom. Michael Cubeddu, Co-Founder and CTO of Aliro, said, “With this integration, we are demonstrating real-time entanglement-based secure key generation, which further validates our technology for real-world use by customers in defense, finance, and telecom.” The initial nodes of ABQ-Net are located at Qunnect’s Albuquerque office and the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, a Department of Energy facility operated jointly by Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories, with plans to expand connections to other institutions including the Air Force Research Lab and the University of New Mexico.
Infleqtion plans to use ABQ-Net’s testing ground to validate coherent networked quantum sensors synchronized via quantum timing to drive future applications from missile defense to autonomous systems.
Matt Kinsella, Chief Executive Officer of Infleqtion
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