IonQ announces technological advancement

IonQ (IONQ), with research support from the Air Force Research Lab, announced a significant technological advancement in its pursuit of scalable quantum networks. IonQ demonstrated the frequency conversion of photons from visible wavelengths used to interface with trapped barium ions, into telecom wavelengths on a prototype system. This milestone paves the way for interconnecting quantum computers over vast distances using the current existing fiber optic infrastructure. The company said, “The ability to transform visible light, which is used in IonQ’s trapped ion quantum systems, into telecom wavelengths is essential for transmitting quantum information efficiently over long-haul fiber optic cables. This milestone signifies a major advancement in IonQ’s long-term vision for the Quantum Internet – distributed quantum computing via secure quantum networks.”