Mehdi Namazi aims to revolutionize communication through quantum entanglement.

Along with his team at Qunnect, he has dedicated nearly a decade to developing a device that enables the sharing of quantum-entangled light particles (photons), making secure communication a reality.

Located at Qunnect’s headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, a state-of-the-art table is filled with lasers, lenses, special crystals, and other components essential for manipulating light. All of this technology will be elegantly packaged in striking magenta boxes and dispatched to those advancing future communication technology.

Against the backdrop of the iconic New York skyline, Namazi unveils an electronic device that may seem unremarkable at first. However, when stacked, these boxes form what the company refers to as the Carina rack, capable of performing extraordinary quantum functions.

In February, the Qunnect team used these racks for “entanglement swapping” over a 17.6-kilometre fiber-optic connection between Brooklyn and Manhattan through commercial data centers.

Entanglement exchange involves transferring entangled properties from one photon pair to another. Once photons are entangled, they demonstrate extreme sensitivity to tampering, making it exceedingly difficult to steal information without detection. This swapping technique extends the essence of unhackable communication to long-distance quantum internet applications.

Qunnect successfully exchanged quantum entanglements among 5,400 photon pairs every hour while the network operated autonomously for several days. Previously established experiments recorded significantly lower rates of entanglement exchange.

Before the Carina Rack can perform its magic, entangled photons must be generated using another device. At the heart of this “entanglement source” lies a glass and metal box containing rubidium atoms vapor, illuminated by laser light to produce photon pairs. Namazi recounts how precise adjustments to the laser beam’s angle increased the number of entangled photons produced.

Once generated, the Carina Rack transmits these photons through a fiber network to laboratories across New York City, including prestigious institutions like New York University and Columbia University.

Namazi illustrates how one might set up a personal entanglement sharing system to send super-secure messages. “With two Carina racks, we can distribute entanglements within hours,” he states.

Qunnect maintains one such rack in a Manhattan-based commercial data center managed by QTD Systems. When asked, QTD’s Peter Feldman echoed Namazi’s assurance: “You don’t need to know anything about quantum physics.” The systems that sustain photon entanglement in Qunnect’s network can be operated remotely, allowing autonomous function for weeks.

The quest for an unhackable quantum internet is not confined to New York City. Numerous metropolitan quantum networks are emerging globally, including those in Hefei, China, and Chicago, Illinois. However, challenges remain, particularly in addressing the loss of photons over extensive distances.

Namazi emphasizes that quantum entanglement could have immediate applications. By integrating entangled photons into classical light streams, malicious interception attempts can be detected, serving as a quantum tripwire.

Another practical use is authenticating the identity of individuals exchanging sensitive information based on their location. Collaborating with Alexander Gaeta at Columbia University, Qunnect is actively exploring these capabilities. In a single New York borough, numerous financial institutions could significantly benefit from such advancements, as indicated by Javad Shabani at New York University. “Once the infrastructure is established, the demand will follow, probably from just across the street.”

While the quantum internet is still in its infancy, I was impressed by the extent of operational technology during my drive from Qunnect’s headquarters to QTD’s data center. As I crossed one of New York’s bridges, I pondered the multitude of entangled photons traversing the city—a bustling metropolis with endless potential.