IonQ has set a new record for quantum communication speed, creating a channel between two fundamentally different qubits. The experimental system forms more than 1,000 quantum compounds per second, four times the previous record for ion technologies.
The developers demonstrated a connection between an electromagnetic trap-captured ion and diamond-based quantum memory. Instead of electrical conductors, the system uses photons, that is, particles of light. This approach allows you to link computing elements built on different physical principles, and potentially combine individual quantum processors into large computing complexes.
The main result of the experiment is not just the speed of transmission. The researchers learned to create quantum entanglement between the two systems with a frequency of about a thousand events per second. When the state of the two particles is entangled, even if the particles are physically separated. Such communication is necessary for the joint execution of quantum operations on different processors, although in itself does not allow the instantaneous transmission of ordinary information.
According to scientific work published on October 7, 2026, the average speed was 1.03 kilohertz, or roughly 1,030 events of entanglement per second. The accuracy of the resulting quantum states reached 87.9%. In other words, the system forms one tangled pair in about a millisecond, but the quality of such pairs is not yet ideal. The results are obtained on real equipment, taking into account losses in the conversion and transmission of photons.
For the experiment, the scientists used the barium-138 ion and the so-called SiV center, a special defect in the crystal lattice of the diamond associated with the silicon atom. The ions in traps are able to preserve the quantum states necessary for calculations for a relatively long time. Diamond centers effectively interact with light and can serve as quantum memory. The developers combined the advantages of two technologies in one optical architecture.
The communication works as follows. The ion emits a photon, after which special equipment converts its wavelength and the method of encoding quantum information. The light particle then interacts with the diamond center inside the nanophotonic resonator. Photon registration allows you to establish that there is a confusing state between the ion and the memory center. In this way, the researchers combine two different types of qubits without direct physical contact.
The previous record of the optical connection of ion qubits belonged to the research group Chris Monroe from Duke University. The new system exceeded the figure by about four times. Monroe, one of the founders of IonQ, was also involved in the current work. The developers consider the coincidence of the time of formation of a tangled pair with the duration of the working cycle of the projected ion processors.
Connection speed plays a crucial role in scaling quantum computers. A separate quantum processor is limited to the number of qubits that can be controlled without significant error growth. Combining several modules allows you to bypass some of the design constraints, but slow communication can nullify the advantages of such an architecture. Even powerful computing blocks will be idle if you wait too long for the formation of common quantum states.
IonQ expects to build distributed quantum systems on the principle of modern data centers, where processors, memory and network equipment work as part of a single infrastructure. Optical connections should allow individual quantum modules to jointly perform tasks without placing all qubits within a single device. The developers also consider the use of technology in quantum sensor networks capable of coordinating measurements at different sites.
The company participates in the HARQ program of the American agency DARPA, aimed at creating high-speed connections between quantum systems with different hardware architecture. Although the new experiment was conducted with ion qubit, IonQ suggests the ability to connect other platforms, including neutral atoms and superconducting qubits. For the latter, converters that translate microwave signals into optical signals will be required.
The development is already outside the research laboratory. In April 2026, IonQ announced the first commercial sale of the quantum memory and interconnection system to the University of Maryland, and in September announced the sale of another installation by South Korean company SDT. Earlier, also in April, IonQ demonstrated the optical connection of two independent quantum systems on captured ions in the framework of the project with the US Air Force Research Laboratory.
The new record does not yet mean the emergence of a ready-made distributed quantum supercomputer. The researchers confirmed the performance of the individual connection, but did not demonstrate a large-scale network of processors performing joint computing. In addition to speed, engineers have to improve the accuracy of tangled states and ensure the sustainable operation of many connections at the same time. However, the experiment shows that the optical connection between different types of qubits is already capable of operating with a frequency comparable to the pace of operations of future quantum processors.
The developers demonstrated a connection between an electromagnetic trap-captured ion and diamond-based quantum memory. Instead of electrical conductors, the system uses photons, that is, particles of light. This approach allows you to link computing elements built on different physical principles, and potentially combine individual quantum processors into large computing complexes.
The main result of the experiment is not just the speed of transmission. The researchers learned to create quantum entanglement between the two systems with a frequency of about a thousand events per second. When the state of the two particles is entangled, even if the particles are physically separated. Such communication is necessary for the joint execution of quantum operations on different processors, although in itself does not allow the instantaneous transmission of ordinary information.
According to scientific work published on October 7, 2026, the average speed was 1.03 kilohertz, or roughly 1,030 events of entanglement per second. The accuracy of the resulting quantum states reached 87.9%. In other words, the system forms one tangled pair in about a millisecond, but the quality of such pairs is not yet ideal. The results are obtained on real equipment, taking into account losses in the conversion and transmission of photons.
For the experiment, the scientists used the barium-138 ion and the so-called SiV center, a special defect in the crystal lattice of the diamond associated with the silicon atom. The ions in traps are able to preserve the quantum states necessary for calculations for a relatively long time. Diamond centers effectively interact with light and can serve as quantum memory. The developers combined the advantages of two technologies in one optical architecture.
The communication works as follows. The ion emits a photon, after which special equipment converts its wavelength and the method of encoding quantum information. The light particle then interacts with the diamond center inside the nanophotonic resonator. Photon registration allows you to establish that there is a confusing state between the ion and the memory center. In this way, the researchers combine two different types of qubits without direct physical contact.
The previous record of the optical connection of ion qubits belonged to the research group Chris Monroe from Duke University. The new system exceeded the figure by about four times. Monroe, one of the founders of IonQ, was also involved in the current work. The developers consider the coincidence of the time of formation of a tangled pair with the duration of the working cycle of the projected ion processors.
Connection speed plays a crucial role in scaling quantum computers. A separate quantum processor is limited to the number of qubits that can be controlled without significant error growth. Combining several modules allows you to bypass some of the design constraints, but slow communication can nullify the advantages of such an architecture. Even powerful computing blocks will be idle if you wait too long for the formation of common quantum states.
IonQ expects to build distributed quantum systems on the principle of modern data centers, where processors, memory and network equipment work as part of a single infrastructure. Optical connections should allow individual quantum modules to jointly perform tasks without placing all qubits within a single device. The developers also consider the use of technology in quantum sensor networks capable of coordinating measurements at different sites.
The company participates in the HARQ program of the American agency DARPA, aimed at creating high-speed connections between quantum systems with different hardware architecture. Although the new experiment was conducted with ion qubit, IonQ suggests the ability to connect other platforms, including neutral atoms and superconducting qubits. For the latter, converters that translate microwave signals into optical signals will be required.
The development is already outside the research laboratory. In April 2026, IonQ announced the first commercial sale of the quantum memory and interconnection system to the University of Maryland, and in September announced the sale of another installation by South Korean company SDT. Earlier, also in April, IonQ demonstrated the optical connection of two independent quantum systems on captured ions in the framework of the project with the US Air Force Research Laboratory.
The new record does not yet mean the emergence of a ready-made distributed quantum supercomputer. The researchers confirmed the performance of the individual connection, but did not demonstrate a large-scale network of processors performing joint computing. In addition to speed, engineers have to improve the accuracy of tangled states and ensure the sustainable operation of many connections at the same time. However, the experiment shows that the optical connection between different types of qubits is already capable of operating with a frequency comparable to the pace of operations of future quantum processors.
