MIT creates quantum interconnect for scalable computing (19459000)
Quantum computers will revolutionize the way we solve problems, taking on challenges that even supercomputers can’t. Researchers are still grappling with scaling systems to interconnected quantum processing as the technology moves closer towards widespread use.
Researchers at MIT have made a major breakthrough by unveiling a new interconnect device that allows for “all-to all” communication among superconducting quanta processors. The innovative architecture overcomes current “point to point” systems that suffer from high error rates caused by repeated network transfers.
This technological leap is based on a wire or waveguide made of superconducting material, which can transport microwave photons, the carriers of quantum data, between quantum processors.
Unlike other architectures that require photons travel through a complex series of nodes to communicate, MIT’s interconnect enables easy communication among any number of processors within a network. The breakthrough paves the way for a distributed quantum system with increased reliability and efficiency.
Scientists have developed a quantum brain
Researchers in their study constructed a quantum network consisting of two processors. They used the interconnects to transmit photons according to user-defined instructions. The team achieved remote entanglement by controlling light particles in a precise manner. This was a crucial milestone towards creating distributed quantum systems. Entanglement creates connections between quantum processors even when physically separated.
Design of the interconnect offers unmatched modularity. Researchers are coupling several quantum modules with a waveguide to achieve seamless photon transfers. The four-qubit modules act as interfaces between waveguides and quantum processors.
Researchers were able to control the direction and phase of photons using microwave pulses that had been calibrated with precision. This allowed for the precise transmission and absorbtion over any distance.
We are creating ‘quantum connections’ that connect distant processors. This will pave the way to a future with interconnected quantum systems.” William D. Oliver is an MIT Professor and the senior author of this study. This is a crucial step towards building quantum networks at large scale.
While promising, remote entanglement is not without challenges. Researchers used a reinforcement-learning algorithm to overcome obstacles like photon distortion in waveguide transmission.
The algorithm optimized the protocol pulses in order to achieve a photon absorption rate exceeding 60%, which is enough to prove entanglement reliability.
This development has implications that go beyond quantum computing. The team plans to adapt the protocol and expand it for other quantum computer types. Future improvements such as the integration of modules into three-dimensional space or refinement of photon pathways could improve absorption efficiency.
In principle, we can use our method to create broader quantum connections and new computing paradigms. Aziza Almanakly is the lead researcher and graduate research at MIT.
MIT’s innovative technology bridges the divide between quantum breakthroughs and practical scalability, ushering in a new era of distributed quantum computation.
Journal Reference
- Almanakly, A., Yankelevich, B., Hays, M. et al. Deterministic distant entanglement using an chiral interconnect. Nat. Phys. (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41567-025-02811-1
