Qunnect sustained over 210,000 entangled photon pairs per second across a 25-kilometer fiber link for 90% of a continuous 48-hour period, data the company released this week to detail the performance of ABQ-Net, America’s first open-access quantum network in New Mexico. The network, linking Qunnect’s facilities to Sandia National Laboratories, allows qualified teams from government, academia and industry to test quantum technology on a live, fully characterized fiber infrastructure, the company says.
“Qunnect believes any company deciding whether to test its technology on ABQ-Net should be able to see exactly what the network delivers, and how well it does so,” says Mehdi Namazi, Qunnect Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer. Measurements over a 50-kilometer loop also yielded CHSH values between 2.50 and 2.62 over 24 hours, definitively exceeding the classical limit of 2.0.
25km Fiber Link Performance: Entanglement Rates and Error Metrics
This extended run yielded a quantum bit error rate between 9% and 13% over the central 80% of the timeframe, providing a detailed profile of performance degradation over sustained operation. These figures are central to evaluating the viability of the network for demanding applications and represent a key metric for potential users.
Maintaining entanglement over this distance for an extended duration is critical for building practical quantum networks, as signal loss and decoherence typically increase with distance. Qunnect’s Carina hardware addresses a major challenge in real-world deployment by automatically compensating for fiber-induced polarization drift in real-time, even with aerial fiber exposed to environmental fluctuations.
The company publishes this performance data, believing any organization evaluating ABQ-Net should have access to detailed metrics, as stated in a company release. New Mexico’s ABQ-Net, commissioned to provide a platform for real-world quantum technology validation, currently hosts tests from Infleqtion, Tensora, Bandelier Technologies and Aliro, each using the network for distinct applications. This open-access approach aims to accelerate the development and adoption of quantum technologies by providing a shared infrastructure for experimentation and innovation.
Carina Hardware Stabilizes Entanglement Through Albuquerque’s Aerial Fiber
Qunnect’s Carina hardware actively counteracts polarization drift within the Albuquerque-based ABQ-Net, a factor critical for maintaining stable entanglement over deployed fiber optic cables. The system compensates in real-time for disturbances caused by environmental conditions, specifically wind and temperature fluctuations impacting the aerial portions of the 25-kilometer fiber link connecting Qunnect’s facilities to Sandia National Laboratories. This automated correction allows users to connect their own compatible hardware without independently constructing a complete entanglement distribution system, streamlining the testing process, according to Qunnect.
The network’s design incorporates six distinct 25-kilometer fiber strands, each fully characterized for signal loss at both O and C bands, alongside detailed measurements of polarization and propagation time drifts recorded over a 24-hour period. These comprehensive characterizations provide a baseline for evaluating the performance of any connected equipment and ensure consistent testing conditions. The availability of fully characterized fiber and automated stabilization systems reduces the barriers to entry for teams seeking to test their quantum hardware in a practical setting.
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