Record Network Sync Beyween National Labs

Record Network Sync Between National Labs

PRESS RELEASE | ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY

Quantum network between two national labs achieves record synch

BY JOHN SPIZZIRRI| JUNE 27, 2022 in anl.gov

Quantum collaboration demonstrates in Chicagoland the first steps toward functional long-distance quantum networks over deployed telecom fiber optics, opening the door to scalable quantum computing.

To test the synchronicity of two clocks — one at Argonne and one at Fermilab — scientists transmitted a traditional clock signal (blue) and a quantum signal (orange) simultaneously between the two clocks. The signals were sent over the Illinois Express Quantum Network. Researchers found that the two clocks remained synchronized within a time window smaller than 5 picoseconds, or 5 trillionths of a second. (Image by Lee Turman, Argonne National Laboratory.)

The world awaits quantum technology. Quantum computing is expected to solve complex problems that current, or classical, computing cannot. And quantum networking is essential for realizing the full potential of quantum computing, enabling breakthroughs in our understanding of nature, as well as applications that improve everyday life.

But making it a reality requires the development of precise quantum computers and reliable quantum networks that leverage current computer technologies and existing infrastructure.

“To have two national labs that are 50 kilometers apart, working on quantum networks with this shared range of technical capability and expertise, is not a trivial thing.” — Panagiotis Spentzouris, head of the Quantum Science Program at Fermilab

Recently, as a sort of proof of potential and a first step toward functional quantum networks, a team of researchers with the Illinois‐Express Quantum Network (IEQNET) successfully deployed a long-distance quantum network between two U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories using local fiber optics.

The experiment marked the first time that quantum-encoded photons — the particle through which quantum information is delivered — and classical signals were simultaneously delivered across a metropolitan-scale distance with an unprecedented level of synchronization.

The IEQNET collaboration includes the DOE’s Fermi National Accelerator and Argonne National laboratories, Northwestern University and Caltech. Their success is derived, in part, from the fact that its members encompass the breadth of computing architectures, from classical and quantum to hybrid.

“To have two national labs that are 50 kilometers apart, working on quantum networks with this shared range of technical capability and expertise, is not a trivial thing,” said Panagiotis Spentzouris, head of the Quantum Science Program at Fermilab and lead researcher on the project. ​“You need a diverse team to attack this very difficult and complex problem.”

And for that team, synchronization proved the beast to tame. Together, they showed that it is possible for quantum and classical signals to coexist across the same network fiber and achieve synchronization, both in metropolitan-scale distances and real-world conditions.

Classical computing networks, the researchers point out, are complex enough. Introducing the challenge that is quantum networking into the mix changes the game considerably.

When classical computers need to execute synchronized operations and functions, like those required for security and computation acceleration, they rely on something called the Network Time Protocol (NTP). This protocol distributes a clock signal over the same network that carries information, with a precision that is a million times faster than a blink of an eye.  ...  '