Summary
A new Nature Photonics paper from Heriot-Watt University links two previously separate quantum networks into a single eight-user system. The team demonstrated a reconfigurable photonic network that can route entanglement on demand and even teleport entanglement across network boundaries. This is the first time two distinct quantum networks have talked to each other at this scale, a clear step toward the envisioned quantum internet.
For cyber leaders, the relevance is practical. On-demand entanglement routing points to dynamic, multi-tenant quantum-secure services and inter-domain peering for future critical infrastructure. Teleporting entanglement across boundaries suggests a path to interoperability across operators and vendors. It is still a prototype, so distance, stability, and operational integration need real-world validation, but the architectural direction is becoming tangible.
Notably, the core is not an exotic chip but an off-the-shelf multimode fiber costing under £100. By shaping the input light with programmable optics, the researchers turned the fiber’s normally chaotic scattering into a high-dimensional optical circuit. That hints at lower-cost, software-defined quantum network fabrics that can be orchestrated like today’s SDN. For CISOs, near-term actions include tracking interop and security standards, piloting PQC alongside quantum networking for key distribution, and planning governance and monitoring for cross-domain quantum links.
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See the original article at: https://postquantum.com/quantum-research/linking-two-quantum-networks/