IonQ reports achieving entanglement rates exceeding 1,000 per second between a trapped ion qubit and solid-state memory, a new benchmark for quantum interconnect speed. This advance combines the coherence of trapped ions with the light-coupling efficiency of silicon vacancy quantum memory, demonstrating a rate more than four times faster than the previous record held by IonQ co-founder Chris Monroe at Duke University, the company says.
“IonQ has crossed a pivotal milestone for memory enhanced quantum interconnects,” said Niccolo de Masi, Chairman and CEO of IonQ, framing the demonstration as a step toward scalable, networked quantum data centers. The results, detailed in a technical paper, stem from testing on functioning hardware and suggest a path toward linking diverse quantum computing architectures.
Photonic Interconnect Achieves 1 kHz Entanglement with Trapped Ions
The demonstrated speed is critical for scaling quantum computing architectures beyond single processors. This breakthrough addresses a critical interconnect bottleneck and advances IonQ’s roadmap to build the networked quantum data centers of the future, according to the company. A technical paper details results from testing on functioning hardware, confirming this isn’t merely theoretical but a demonstrated capability. Monroe, also Chief Scientist at IonQ and Gilhuly Family Presidential Distinguished Professor at Duke University, emphasized the long-term implications of this work.
“IonQ’s efforts in quantum interconnects go back over a decade, to the founding of the company. Moving qubits through photons will be necessary in any large-scale quantum computer, and this demonstration sets the foundation for some amazing work to come,” he stated. Mihir Bhaskar, IonQ SVP and GM of Quantum Technologies at SkyWater, added, “This work shows that a photonic quantum interconnect need not be a bottleneck for distributed quantum computing.” IonQ anticipates this technology will enable applications in modular computing and networked sensing.
IonQ’s efforts in quantum interconnects go back over a decade, to the founding of the company. Moving qubits through photons will be necessary in any large-scale quantum computer, and this demonstration sets the foundation for some amazing work to come.
Chris Monroe, Chief Scientist at IonQ and Gilhuly Family Presidential Distinguished Professor at Duke University
IonQ’s Quantum Memory Platform Enables Distributed Computing Scalability
This interconnect rate surpasses IonQ’s previous record and demonstrates a capability applicable to diverse qubit types, including neutral atoms and superconducting systems requiring signal conversion. The demonstrated speed addresses a critical challenge in scaling quantum architectures beyond single processors, allowing for the connection of specialized quantum processing units. Commercialization of IonQ’s memory and interconnect platform is already underway, with systems sold to the University of Maryland in April and to SDT in South Korea in September. Detailed findings from this work are available in a preprint publication, outlining the end-to-end link performance on functioning hardware.
IonQ has crossed a pivotal milestone for memory enhanced quantum interconnects, achieving more than 1,000 entanglement events per second.
Niccolo de Masi, Chairman and CEO of IonQ
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