Press Release

Share

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) has been awarded a research program from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop a quantum memory unit, a critical component in the implementation of a quantum network that will enable fundamentally secure communications and exponential scaling of computer power.

The realization of quantum networks as a “quantum internet” represent a huge leap in technological capability and computing power. Linking computers over conventional “classical” networks enhances computational power by distributing processing tasks by exchanging data bits and then aggregating the results. For a quantum network, quantum bits (or “qubits”) replace classical bits and introduce the potential for perfectly-secure data transfer of information between classical computers and the possibility of exponentially-increased computational power when networking multiple quantum computers.

To enable the transfer of quantum information over an existing telecommunications-fiber network, PSI is implementing a scalable quantum random access memory unit. This memory will controllably transfer quantum information from photons to atoms and back to photons following a scalable architecture with high throughput that is attractive for networking applications.

The quantum memory will enable the first quantum networks to link multiple classical computers over a fundamentally secure communication line. These links will have immediate impacts on national security and financial sectors where communications security is critical. Creating quantum networks will allow the United States to catch up with foreign countries that already have established operational quantum communication systems. A larger benefit to research, business, and society as a whole will be seen when multiple quantum computers are realized and linked using a quantum network. Cooperative communication of quantum computers communicating over the quantum network enables a single, larger computer with more qubits and enables exponential increase in computational power. These computational increases can perform quantum simulations that may speed up drug discovery, improve weather forecasting and climate change predictions, as well as benefit the development of artificial intelligence.

For more information, contact:

Dr. Joel Hensley
Vice President, Photonics Enterprise

hensley@psicorp.com
Physical Sciences Inc.
(978) 689-0003