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PsiQuantum has demonstrated an 8×8 optical circuit switch made with the silicon photonics platform it developed for quantum computing. The company reports 1.2 dB insertion loss, 40 dB crosstalk performance and reconfiguration in less than 3 milliseconds; customer testing and commercial availability remain ahead.
PsiQuantum has unveiled an 8×8 optical circuit-switching demonstration intended for AI data center networks, reporting typical lab results of 1.2 dB insertion loss, 40 dB crosstalk performance and reconfiguration in less than 3 milliseconds. The quantum-computing company says it is sharing demonstration samples with selected prospective customers as it develops commercial products, but the disclosed results are company testing, not independent customer or third-party validation.
The demonstration uses PsiQuantum’s low-loss silicon photonics platform, which the company says it has developed for nearly a decade to support utility-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computing. PsiQuantum said its lab testing produced typical insertion loss of 1.2 dB, crosstalk performance of 40 dB and switching reconfiguration times below 3 milliseconds, without optical amplification. The company said these results exceeded its initial targets, though it did not provide those targets in the announcement.
The 8×8 figure describes the demonstration’s switching radix; PsiQuantum has not detailed the full system architecture, throughput, supported data rates, power use or performance under data center operating conditions in the source material. The company said it is distributing samples to selected potential customers and plans to move toward commercial products, with announcements expected in the coming months.
PsiQuantum said its initial demonstration and products do not require barium titanate integration. The company separately reports developing barium titanate, or BTO, integration at 300-millimeter wafer scale and using a 64×64 BTO switch in its quantum systems. It presents that work as a possible route to faster, more advanced future products, not as a feature of the switch demonstrated for AI connectivity.
Optical Links for Growing AI Clusters
Large AI computing systems depend on moving data among many processors and storage resources. If network capacity or the time required to reconfigure connections becomes a constraint, improvements in computing hardware alone may not resolve the bottleneck. Optical circuit switches are designed to redirect optical paths, and PsiQuantum is pitching its silicon photonics work as a way to address connectivity needs as data centers expand.
The reported measurements are early indicators rather than proof of commercial suitability. Data center operators would need to evaluate factors such as reliability, scale, integration with existing equipment, operating costs and performance across real workloads. The company has not disclosed customer test results, orders, pricing or production volumes. The announcement therefore signals a potential new market for PsiQuantum’s technology, while the practical impact depends on further testing and product development.
The move also offers PsiQuantum a possible commercial application for capabilities developed on its quantum-computing roadmap. The company says AI infrastructure and quantum computing can benefit from advances in each other, but the announcement does not establish that the switch will speed up quantum development or that the technology is already deployed in AI data centers.
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From Quantum Photonics to Data Centers
PsiQuantum’s main stated objective remains building fault-tolerant quantum computers. Its announcement frames optical switching as an application of its existing silicon photonics platform, whose demanding design requirements were set by that longer-term effort. The company argues that requirements for quantum systems can exceed those needed for AI data center optical switching; that is PsiQuantum’s characterization, not an independent comparison supplied in the report.
The switch announcement follows a September 2026 development cited by PsiQuantum: the company said it had signed definitive documentation with the U.S. Department of Commerce to support research and development, domestic manufacturability and performance of critical components, including optical switches. That earlier agreement provides policy and manufacturing context, but the available material does not specify its funding terms or connect it to production of the newly demonstrated 8×8 device.
“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, chief executive officer of PsiQuantum
Commercial Tests Still Ahead
The disclosed performance figures come from PsiQuantum laboratory testing. The source material does not identify an independent evaluator, provide detailed test protocols or show results from operation in a customer data center. It is also unclear how the reported 40 dB crosstalk figure is defined for comparison with other switches, or what performance the device sustains as the number of connected systems grows.
PsiQuantum has not announced commercial specifications, price, manufacturing capacity, launch dates or customer commitments. The company’s stated plan to share samples with selected prospective customers does not confirm that those customers have completed testing or intend to buy the product. It remains unclear how the demonstration will perform against alternatives or when it could be deployed at scale.
Customer Samples and Product Plans
The next stated step is evaluation of demonstration samples by selected prospective customers. PsiQuantum says it is advancing the platform toward commercial products and expects to make further announcements in the coming months. Those updates may clarify product specifications, customer feedback, availability and manufacturing plans; none of those details is confirmed in the current announcement.
For now, the 8×8 device is a demonstration, not a reported commercial deployment. Whether its laboratory measurements translate into reliable, scalable data center connectivity will depend on customer testing and the specifications PsiQuantum publishes as development continues.
Key Questions
What did PsiQuantum announce?
It announced an 8×8 optical circuit-switching demonstration for possible AI data center connectivity, built on its low-loss silicon photonics platform.
What performance did PsiQuantum report?
The company reported typical lab results of 1.2 dB insertion loss, 40 dB crosstalk performance and reconfiguration in less than 3 milliseconds, without optical amplification. These are company-reported results, not independently verified figures in the source material.
Is the switch available to buy?
No commercial availability was announced. PsiQuantum said it is sharing demonstration samples with selected prospective customers and plans to announce commercial products in the coming months.
Does the demonstration use barium titanate?
No. PsiQuantum said BTO integration is not required for this demonstration or its initial products. The company described BTO as a possible path for faster, more advanced future products.
Has a data center customer validated the switch?
The available report does not provide customer test results or confirm a deployment. PsiQuantum says it is distributing samples to selected prospective customers, but their evaluation outcomes are not yet known.
Source: thequantuminsider.com
