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Toward scalable quantum networks: An efficient and practical approach to secure quantum conferencing

The study presents an asynchronous measurement-device-independent quantum cryptographic conferencing protocol that overcomes scalability challenges in conventional protocols. The protocol enables the generation of secure keys at higher rates, making it suitable for larger-scale quantum networks.

SourceNanjing University School of Physics·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 21, 2026

New device design could miniaturize photonics, quantum technologies

Researchers create powerful optical device with layered semiconductor and metasurface, enhancing nonlinear frequency conversion and enabling efficient light mixing and transformation. The device has potential applications in telecommunications, quantum communication, and photonic quantum computing.

SourceHarvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences·JournalNature Nanotechnology·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 4, 2026

Bright ideas accelerate the hunt for quantum emitters

Researchers from the University of Osaka have developed a prediction framework that rapidly evaluates promising quantum materials without sacrificing accuracy. The framework enables the evaluation of optical losses using simplified theoretical expressions, making searches much more tractable.

SourceThe University of Osaka·Journalnpj Computational Materials·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateAug 25, 2026

The optical glow of quantum crystals

Physicists at the University of Basel and Technical University of Munich developed a method to study the internal behavior of Wigner crystals, a fragile quantum state. By illuminating a single atomic layer of tungsten diselenide and measuring reflected light, they observed new optical features revealing collective electron dynamics.

SourceUniversity of Basel·JournalNature Physics·DateAug 11, 2026

‘Spooky’ particles transit DC suburbs, a step toward a quantum network

Researchers at NIST successfully transmitted entangled photons through a commercial fiber-optic network, a crucial step towards building quantum networks. The study demonstrates the feasibility of using existing infrastructure to connect distant users and could enable ultra-secure communications and boost quantum computing power.

Quantum properties of multimode light observed despite extreme losses

A team of scientists has developed a method to measure multiple quantum channels of light simultaneously, even when almost all the light is lost before reaching the detector. This breakthrough enables the detection of complex quantum states and provides a practical route toward real-world high-dimensional quantum technologies.

SourceMax Planck Institute for the Science of Light·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 2, 2026

Sunlight-powered generation of correlated photon pairs

Researchers have successfully generated correlated photon pairs using sunlight as the sole pump source for spontaneous parametric down-conversion. The system, which eliminates the need for lasers and external power, achieves comparable ghost-imaging visibility to conventional laser-based systems. This breakthrough enables a fully passi...

Of the geometry of light

A German-Japanese research team applies quantum geometry to non-Hermitian photonic systems, introducing a new degree of complexity. They develop a method to measure the quantum metric directly, enabling the creation of programmable artificial potentials for light and new design possibilities for photonic systems.

SourceMax Planck Institute for the Science of Light·JournalPhysical Review Research·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 13, 2026

Ben-Gurion University researchers propose new way to secure optical communication using light itself

Researchers propose a new approach to secure optical communication by hiding information in the physical structure of light, making it difficult for unauthorized parties to intercept or decode. Computer simulations showed that the method can transmit information reliably without revealing it through changes in beam size or intensity.

SourceBen-Gurion University of the Negev·JournalOptical and Quantum Electronics·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateApr 15, 2026

Does gravity follow the rules of quantum mechanics?

A team of researchers led by Kazuhiro Yamamoto has proposed a method to create a momentum-squeezed state in movable mirrors, which significantly broadens the quantum superposition of a mirror's position. This approach can amplify the signal of quantum entanglement generated by gravity, making it easier to detect.

SourceKyushu University·JournalPhysical Review Research·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateApr 14, 2026

Experimental evidence shows how photons spread across multiple paths in an interferometer

Researchers at Hiroshima University have developed a new experimental method to demonstrate the physical delocalization of individual photons in an interferometer. The study challenges traditional interpretations of quantum mechanics and has significant implications for high-tech sensors and our understanding of reality.

SourceHiroshima University·JournalNew Journal of Physics·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 26, 2026

Deterministic quantum light emitters in DNA origami-engineered molecule-MoS2 hybrids

Researchers have developed programmable 2D material–organic molecule hybrids with high efficiency and nanoscale spatial precision using DNA origami triangles. This approach enables the creation of arrays of solid-state single-photon-emitter ensembles with excellent spectral and intensity stability, opening a route toward miniaturized h...

Topology helps build more robust photonic networks

Researchers have shown that topology can guide multiple, information-carrying light signals through chip-based photonic communication systems, making them more powerful and reliable. This breakthrough could enable the creation of networks of chips that communicate using light while taking advantage of topology's robustness.

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science·JournalNature Physics·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 19, 2026

A dynamic twist of light’s ‘handedness’

The Harvard researchers' new device is elegantly designed to be tunable, with a bilayer design that becomes geometrically chiral and able to 'read' chiral light. By using the MEMS device to continuously vary the twist angle and interlayer spacing, the team showed they could tune the device's intrinsic ability to read different chiral l...

Ultrafast computers controlled by light: a new frontier opened by Politecnico di Milano and CNR

Researchers at Politecnico di Milano and CNR have developed a new ultrafast computer technology controlled by light, potentially hundreds of times faster than traditional electronics. The technology manipulates the state of electrons in matter using oscillating light, enabling operations at rates above 10 terahertz.

SourcePolitecnico di Milano·JournalNature Photonics·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 10, 2026

Matching vibrations is all it takes to modify materials

Scientists at Columbia University have experimentally confirmed that quantum fluctuations in a 2D material can alter the properties of a nearby crystal. The team placed a nanometer-sized flake of hexagonal Boron nitride on top of a superconducting material, where the vibrations matched and interacted, suppressing superconductivity.

SourceColumbia University·JournalNature·DateFeb 26, 2026

Deterministic entanglement-assisted quantum communication over 20-km fiber channel

A team of scientists experimentally demonstrated deterministic entanglement-assisted quantum communication over 20.121 km in fiber channels, outperforming classical communication in metropolitan areas. They proposed an improved continuous-variable dense coding scheme to enhance transmission efficiency and reduce excess noise.

Mid-infrared InAs/InP quantum-dot lasers: opening a new era for mid-infrared light sources

Researchers have successfully demonstrated the first InAs/InP quantum-dot laser in the mid-infrared 2 μm band, achieving a low threshold current density of 118 A/cm² at room temperature. The device's precise control strategy and high-density, uniform quantum-dot ensemble enable high-performance devices on heterogeneous platforms.

Quantum measurements with entangled atomic clouds

A research team has demonstrated how quantum mechanical entanglement can be used to measure several physical parameters simultaneously with increased precision. By distributing atoms into up to three spatially separated clouds, the effects of entanglement act at a distance, reducing measurement uncertainties and canceling disturbances.

SourceUniversity of Basel·JournalScience·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 22, 2026

Innovative techniques enable Italy’s first imaging of individual trapped atoms

Researchers at the University of Trieste and CNR-INO have achieved the first imaging of individual trapped ytterbium atoms in Italy. By combining intense fluorescence pulses with fast re-cooling, they demonstrated record-speed imaging of individual atoms, enabling precise onsite atom counting and advancing quantum computing applications.

SourceCNR-INO·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 23, 2025

New advances in quantum structured light pave the way for safer communications and ultra-fast computing

The field of quantum structured light has transformed the way we communicate, measure and process information by combining quantum information with spatial and temporal structures of light. This technology enables simpler and faster circuits for quantum computing, as well as improved resolution techniques in imaging and metrology.

SourceUniversitat Autonoma de Barcelona·JournalNature Photonics·TypeSystematic review·DateDec 10, 2025

World’s first demonstration of entanglement swapping using sum-frequency generation between single photons

Researchers successfully demonstrated entanglement swapping using sum-frequency generation between single photons with a high signal-to-noise ratio. This achievement is expected to contribute to the miniaturization and efficiency improvement of photonic quantum information processing circuit, as well as the extension of transmission di...

SourceNational Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT)·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 6, 2025