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 silicon photonics it developed for quantum computing. The company reports 1.2 dB insertion loss, 40 dB crosstalk performance and reconfiguration in under 3 milliseconds; commercial products have not yet been announced.
PsiQuantum has unveiled an 8×8 optical circuit switching demonstration designed for AI data center connectivity, applying its low-loss silicon photonics platform to networks linking computing systems. The company reports 1.2 dB insertion loss, 40 dB crosstalk performance and reconfiguration in under 3 milliseconds, and says it is sharing demonstration samples with selected prospective customers as it works toward commercial products.
The demonstration is built on a silicon photonics platform PsiQuantum says it has developed for nearly a decade to support utility-scale quantum computing. The company describes the device as an 8×8-radix switching vehicle. Results reported from testing in PsiQuantum’s laboratories were typical measurements, not independently published test results: 1.2 dB of insertion loss, 40 dB of crosstalk performance and a reconfiguration time below 3 milliseconds. PsiQuantum says the measurements exceeded its initial targets and were achieved without optical amplification.
PsiQuantum is providing samples to selected prospective customers and says it is advancing the platform toward commercial products, which it expects to announce in the coming months. The announcement does not identify customers, give a product launch date or provide pricing, production volumes or deployment results. The disclosed unit is a demonstration vehicle, not evidence that a commercial system is already operating in a data center.
The company says its initial optical switching products do not require barium titanate integration, which it has developed at 300-millimeter wafer scale and uses in a 64×64 switch in its quantum systems. PsiQuantum presents that integration as a possible route to more advanced future products, rather than a component of the demonstration described in this announcement. It says it will continue its work on fault-tolerant quantum computers while pursuing the AI infrastructure opportunity.
Optical Switching for AI Networks
As AI systems expand, data centers must move data among growing pools of computing equipment. Optical circuit switches are one approach to directing those connections using light, and could offer data center operators another option as they scale network capacity. PsiQuantum’s announcement matters because it describes a potential application for technology developed for quantum computing in a nearer-term commercial market.
The reported measurements offer an early indication of the device’s performance, but they do not establish how it would perform in customer networks, at larger scale or under sustained operating conditions. The distinction matters: lab results and samples are not a commercial deployment. Customer testing, integration with existing equipment and product availability will determine whether the switch can address practical data center needs.
PsiQuantum also links the two markets, arguing that advances in optical infrastructure may support both AI computing and its own quantum systems. That is the company’s strategic rationale; the announcement does not quantify a financial impact or show that AI data center sales will fund or accelerate its quantum program.
Products Worth Considering
Jackery HomePower 1000 Plus v2 Portable Power Station
Amazon Kindle Scribe Colorsoft 64GB (1st Generation)
Apple iPad Air (2025) 13‑inch Wi‑Fi 256 GB – Space Gray (M3 chip)
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
From Quantum Platform to Data Centers
PsiQuantum’s primary stated goal is building fault-tolerant quantum computers. The company says its photonics platform was designed against demanding requirements for that work, and that some capabilities may also apply to optical switching for AI infrastructure. The new demonstration is the company’s first publicly disclosed OCS vehicle, according to the announcement.
The announcement follows a September 2026 development: PsiQuantum 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 provided material does not describe the agreement’s funding, milestones or relationship to the 8×8 demonstration in detail.
“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
Commercial Readiness Still Undetermined
The announcement does not say which prospective customers will receive samples, when evaluations will finish or what commercial products will include. It also provides no independent verification of the laboratory figures, comparison with competing switches, price, power consumption, reliability data or performance in an operating data center. PsiQuantum describes the results as typical testing outcomes, but does not provide the test protocol or conditions in the supplied material.
It remains unclear when products will be available, how quickly they could be manufactured at scale and whether the reported performance will carry over into customer deployments. The role, if any, of the company’s barium titanate technology in later products is also not specified.
Customer Samples and Product Plans
PsiQuantum says it is sharing demonstration samples with selected prospective customers and plans to announce commercial products in the coming months. Those announcements, along with customer evaluations and any published testing details, should clarify the device’s intended use, availability and performance outside the company’s laboratories. The company says it will continue developing its fault-tolerant quantum computing program in parallel; no additional milestones or dates were provided in the announcement.
Key Questions
What did PsiQuantum announce?
It announced an 8×8 optical circuit switching demonstration intended for AI data center connectivity, built on its low-loss silicon photonics platform.
What performance figures 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. These are company-reported results; the announcement does not provide independent verification or full test conditions.
Is the switch commercially available?
No commercial availability was announced. PsiQuantum says it is sharing samples with selected prospective customers and plans to announce commercial products in the coming months.
Does the demonstration use barium titanate?
No. PsiQuantum says barium titanate integration is not required for the demonstration vehicle or its initial products. The company presents the technology as a possible route to more advanced future products.
Will PsiQuantum stop working on quantum computers?
No. The company says it will pursue optical switching for AI infrastructure while continuing its work toward fault-tolerant quantum computers.
Source: thequantuminsider.com
