Cisco, a global internet technology company, has joined the Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE) to focus on quantum networking research. The partnership will involve Cisco Quantum Lab, which specializes in quantum networking and quantum-safe networking. David Awschalom, director of the CQE, anticipates the collaboration will advance understanding of quantum communication and help develop a secure quantum internet. The CQE hosts one of the longest quantum networks in the US, and Cisco is actively involved in its design and construction. Reza Nejabati, Head of Cisco Quantum Labs, and Ramana Kompella, Head of Cisco Research, highlighted the company’s commitment to quantum networking and security.
Cisco Joins the Chicago Quantum Exchange for Quantum Networking Research
Cisco, a renowned technology company that specializes in internet infrastructure, has recently become a corporate partner of the Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE). The company’s involvement is primarily through its Cisco Quantum Lab, which is dedicated to the research and development of quantum networking and quantum-safe networking. These two areas are of significant interest to the CQE partnership.
David Awschalom, the Liew Family Professor in Molecular Engineering and Physics at the University of Chicago, director of the Chicago Quantum Exchange, and director of Q-NEXT, a Department of Energy National Quantum Information Science Research Center at Argonne National Laboratory, expressed his anticipation for the collaboration. He believes that the partnership will enhance the understanding of quantum communication and contribute to the development of a secure quantum internet, which could revolutionize national security, financial systems, and more.
Cisco’s Role in Quantum Networking Development
The CQE community boasts one of the longest quantum networks in the nation, spanning 124 miles and still expanding. Cisco, through its Quantum Lab, is actively involved in the development of subsystems and systems for quantum communications. The company is also engaged in the design and construction of a practical quantum network. Cisco Research is open to proposals from academic researchers in this field, with more information available on their website.
Reza Nejabati, Head of Cisco Quantum Labs, envisions the future of quantum networks as a platform for distributing entanglement. This network would interconnect quantum computers and quantum sensing devices, facilitating distributed quantum computing and sensing at scale.
Cisco’s Quantum Research and Security Efforts
Quantum research is a significant focus for Cisco Research. Ramana Kompella, Head of Cisco Research, stated that the company is actively researching quantum networking and security. To this end, Cisco established quantum labs in Santa Monica, California, last year. These labs are dedicated to researching the essential components for scalable quantum networks.
In addition to this, Cisco is also working on new protocols and techniques to secure classical digital infrastructure against quantum threats, a field known as quantum-resistant security. To achieve these objectives, Cisco Research is fostering collaborative research partnerships with CQE members to develop the theoretical foundations of these areas.
The Chicago Quantum Exchange and Its Partners
The CQE is based at the University of Chicago and is anchored by the US Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Northwestern University, and Purdue University. The CQE also includes about 50 corporate, international, nonprofit, and regional partners. The addition of Cisco as a corporate partner will undoubtedly enhance the CQE’s efforts in quantum networking research.
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