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Quantum networking

by IonQUS

PilotStage 3 of 5

Sells quantum-safe networking via ID Quantique while building ion-to-photon links.

Updated 19d agoChecked 25 Sep0 updates this week

Milestones

Next · Ion-photon entanglement between separate systems
  1. Ion-photon entanglement between separate systemsNowCurrent milestone.

Most important updates

  • 19d ago
  • Jul 2025

Current obstacles

  • Photon collection efficiencyOnly a small share of the photons ions emit are caught into fibre, which slows links between machines.

Physics limits

  • Fibre loses photons and they can't be amplifiedTelecom fibre loses about 0.2 dB per km, so after 100 km only about 1% of photons arrive. Quantum states can't be copied (no-cloning theorem), so ordinary signal amplifiers can't help.
  • Ions emit the wrong colourBarium ions emit visible light (493 nm) that fibre absorbs strongly. Converting it to telecom wavelengths loses photons, and optics collect only a fraction of the light a single atom emits.
  • Beams from orbit spread outDiffraction widens a beam from a 30 cm telescope to a few metres over 1,000 km, so only a small fraction of photons from a satellite reach a ground telescope, and clouds block them entirely.

How it works

3 parts
The first node of Oak Ridge's quantum network, not IonQ's: a photon source and fibre optics that carry entangled single photons between sites
The first node of Oak Ridge's quantum network, not IonQ's: a photon source and fibre optics that carry entangled single photons between sitesPhoto: Oak Ridge National Laboratory · CC BY 2.0 (opens commons.wikimedia.org)
Link

Ion-photon entanglement

An ion is excited so it emits one photon entangled with it. Photons from two systems meet at a detector, which links the two ions.

Memory

Quantum memory

Lightsynq's memories hold photons briefly so link attempts can be synchronised and retried, instead of both sides needing to succeed at once.

QKD

Keys carried by single photons

ID Quantique systems send encryption keys encoded in single photons. An eavesdropper disturbs them and is detected.

Update log

2 updates

Mon 21 Sep

  • Minor: PressPartnership

Jul 2025

  • Minor: PressOther

About IonQ

The team behind Quantum networking

IonQ

Trapped-ion computers, quantum networking, chip fab

IonQ builds trapped-ion quantum computers and was the first pure quantum company to go public (2021). Under CEO Niccolo de Masi it bought Oxford Ionics, networking firms and chip fab SkyWater. It aims for 2 million qubits by 2030.

  • Closed its $1.8B purchase of chip maker SkyWater on 31 July 2026, gaining its own fab.
  • Reported 99.99% two-qubit fidelity in October 2025 using Oxford Ionics' electronic control.
  • Raised $2B in equity in October 2025, one of the sector's largest raises.

ionq.com (opens ionq.com)Company profile →

Founded
201511 yrs
Headquarters
United States
Status
Public
Listed
IONQ (opens google.com)NYSE
Valuation
public
Raised
$3B2 rounds
Last round
Equity offering · $2BOct 2025
Works in
QuantumTrapped ionComputing
Coverage
2 programs · 11 updateslatest 18d agochecked 25 Sep
Lead investors
Heights Capital Management
Customers
AstraZeneca (opens astrazeneca.com)EPB (opens ionq.com)
Partners
Oxford Ionics (opens oxionics.com)SkyWater Technology (opens skywatertechnology.com)ID Quantique (opens idquantique.com)
People
Niccolo de MasiChairman and CEOChris Monroe (opens en.wikipedia.org)Co-founder
Primer