TL;DR
Get the latest gadgets delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
PsiQuantum has demonstrated an 8×8 optical circuit switch built on its silicon photonics platform, reporting 1.2 dB insertion loss, 40 dB crosstalk performance and reconfiguration in under 3 milliseconds. The company is sharing samples with selected prospective customers and says it plans commercial products in the coming months; independent validation and product details have not been provided in the source material.
PsiQuantum has demonstrated an 8×8 optical circuit switch designed for AI data center connectivity, reporting low signal loss and reconfiguration times under three milliseconds in company laboratory tests. The quantum computing company says it is sharing demonstration samples with selected prospective customers as it develops commercial products, while continuing its work on fault-tolerant quantum computers.
The demonstration uses PsiQuantum’s low-loss silicon photonics platform, which the company says it has spent nearly a decade developing for utility-scale quantum computing. In its announcement, PsiQuantum reported typical test results of 1.2 dB insertion loss, 40 dB crosstalk performance and reconfiguration in less than 3 milliseconds. It said the switch operated without optical amplification and that the results exceeded its initial targets.
The company has begun sharing samples of the demonstration vehicle with selected prospective customers. PsiQuantum says it is advancing the platform toward commercial products, which it plans to announce in the coming months. It did not disclose customer names, pricing, production volumes or a deployment schedule in the supplied announcement.
PsiQuantum also said its demonstration and initial products do not require barium titanate (BTO), a material it has integrated at the 300-millimeter wafer scale and uses in a 64×64 switch in its quantum systems. The company described BTO as a possible route to faster, more advanced future products, rather than a component of the current demonstration.
Optical Switching for AI Networks
AI data centers rely on networks that move information among large pools of computing equipment. As those systems grow, the links connecting them can become a constraint on moving data efficiently. Optical circuit switches direct light between connections, making them a potential part of efforts to scale data center networks.
PsiQuantum’s announcement matters because it presents a possible near-term use for technology developed in its quantum computing program. If the reported performance can be reproduced in customer environments and turned into reliable products, the platform could give data center operators another option for managing connectivity. The company’s lab results alone do not establish that the switch will improve network capacity, energy use or operating costs in deployed systems.
The announcement also illustrates how research intended for quantum computers may have applications outside that field. PsiQuantum says the demanding requirements of its quantum program informed its photonics work. Whether that experience translates into a commercial advantage for AI infrastructure remains to be tested through product development and customer evaluation.
Products Worth Considering
Apple iPad Air (4th Generation, 10.9-inch, Wi-Fi, 256GB) – Space Gray
DJI Mic 3 Wireless Microphone System (2 Transmitters, 1 Receiver, Charging Case)
Logitech MX Keys S Wireless Keyboard, Graphite
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
From Quantum Photonics to Data Centers
PsiQuantum is developing fault-tolerant quantum computers using photonic technology. The company says its silicon photonics platform was designed to meet demanding requirements for that work, and that some of the resulting capabilities can also be applied to optical switching in conventional computing infrastructure.
The company’s September 2026 announcement said it had signed definitive documentation with the U.S. Department of Commerce to accelerate research and development, domestic manufacturability and performance of critical components, including optical switches. The October announcement concerns an 8×8 demonstration vehicle; it does not describe a completed commercial deployment or establish that the government agreement directly supports this specific product.
“This opportunity exists because we chose to solve the hardest scaling problems at the beginning of our roadmap to utility-scale quantum computing.”
— Victor Peng, PsiQuantum chief executive
Product Readiness and Validation
The reported figures come from testing in PsiQuantum’s own laboratories. The announcement does not provide independent test results, detailed test conditions, reliability data over extended operation or comparisons with competing products. The company’s use of “typical” results also leaves the spread of measurements unspecified.
It is not yet clear which prospective customers are evaluating samples, what applications they are considering, or when commercial products will be available. PsiQuantum has not disclosed pricing, production capacity or whether the demonstration’s laboratory performance will be maintained in complete data center systems. Those details will be needed to assess practical performance and commercial demand.
Customer Testing and Product Plans
The immediate next step is evaluation of the demonstration samples by selected prospective customers. PsiQuantum says it plans to announce commercial products in the coming months, but has not provided a specific date or stated what product specifications will be included in those announcements.
Further updates may clarify customer feedback, deployment plans, manufacturing arrangements and whether the company’s BTO technology will feature in later versions. Until then, the announcement establishes a laboratory demonstration and a product-development effort, not a commercial rollout.
Key Questions
What did PsiQuantum announce?
It announced an 8×8 optical circuit switching demonstration built on its silicon photonics platform and intended for AI data center connectivity.
What performance did the company report?
PsiQuantum reported typical laboratory results of 1.2 dB insertion loss, 40 dB crosstalk performance and reconfiguration in less than 3 milliseconds, without optical amplification. The source material does not include independent validation or full test conditions.
Is the switch commercially available?
No commercial availability was announced. PsiQuantum says it is sharing demonstration samples with selected prospective customers and plans to develop commercial products for announcement in the coming months.
Does the demonstration use barium titanate?
No. PsiQuantum said BTO is not required for the demonstration vehicle or initial products. It described BTO as a possible path for faster, more advanced future products.
Does this mean PsiQuantum is shifting away from quantum computing?
The company says it will pursue the optical switching opportunity while continuing its fault-tolerant quantum computing work. The announcement does not describe a change in that stated goal.
Source: thequantuminsider.com
