Cisco simplifies entanglement in quantum networks with new network controller

Cisco will soon unveil a new network controller that lets quantum networks scale and is looking for design partners to team up with as the company plans to launch quantum Entanglement-as-a-Service (EaaS) in the future.

Recent advancements in quantum computing are strong signs that they are the future. However, making this a reality will also require much groundwork. For instance, quantum computing and sensing will not be scalable until quantum networks are also built.

Work on quantum computing is proceeding rapidly but is still largely done manually. From fibers to configuration, setting up states, fidelity everything that a quantum application requires is done manually. Networking giant Cisco wants to change this and has been working to address various components that are needed to make quantum networks scalable.

Building the missing layer

Vijoy Pandey, Senior Vice President at Outshift by Cisco, compares running a quantum network today with driving a car, but one where the driver needs to do everything, handle the steering, control the fuel line, keep the engine cool, and turn the axle as well, all at the same time.

Outshift is Cisco’s wing that turns ideas into products and now believes that quantum networks have reached a point where driving needs to be simplified. A quantum application should be able to tell a quantum network what it needs, and the network should figure out the rest to deliver the task, whether sensing, computing, or security.

In a blog post, Pandey elaborates that scale in quantum computing won’t come from just adding qubits but by connecting machines together, and this is where Cisco’s expertise will be helpful. Earlier this year, the company released its Universal Quantum Switch that scales quantum connectivity and allows a large number of quantum links to be established.

As a large number of quantum nodes work together, software needs to coordinate between them to ensure that the system operates within the precise requirements of quantum operations. This is the missing layer that Cisco has built with its Quantum Network Controller.

Going beyond quantum

The Network Controller is hardware agnostic and uses an abstraction layer for sources, switches, detectors, and timing systems. A quantum application sends it its requirements without knowing what hardware is connected at the other end, much like how cloud infrastructure provides compute to services.

Cisco is terming this model as Entanglement-as-a-Service (EaaS). However, since quantum information cannot be read without destroying it, the Controller must rely on link quality statistics and keep checking it until the application runs.

The Network Controller will not be released publicly like other Cisco products since there is a lot that still needs to be worked upon. The company is open to working with partners to develop it for real-world applications.

Cisco isn’t working on quantum networks to be the first mover in this space. The company believes lessons from quantum networks also apply for classical networks.

High-frequency applications in the financial sector or snooping protection in security could learn much from quantum networks and apply it to classical networks right away.