Cisco Introduces Software to Coordinate Larger Quantum Networks

Insider Brief

• Cisco introduced two research prototypes designed to coordinate quantum networks and help applications use connected quantum devices without configuring each component individually.
• The Quantum Network Controller manages hardware, schedules connections and monitors their quality, while the updated Network-Aware Quantum Compiler divides computing tasks among processors and requests the necessary network resources.
• Cisco reported that its software coordinated equipment from multiple vendors across about 11 miles of commercial fiber in New York City, achieving greater than 99% polarization fidelity at room temperature.

Cisco has introduced two research prototypes designed to coordinate quantum networks, aiming to make connected quantum machines easier to operate and use.

The company’s Quantum Network Controller and updated Network-Aware Quantum Compiler address different parts of that task. The controller coordinates the hardware needed to supply quantum connections, while the compiler determines how a quantum program should be divided among processors and what connections it needs, according to a Cisco blog post by Vijoy Pandey, senior vice president of Outshift by Cisco.