Imagine the benefits if the entire internet got a game-changing upgrade to speed and security. This is the promise of the quantum internet—an advanced system that uses single photons to operate. Researchers at Tohoku University have developed a new photonic router that can direct single and quantum entangled photons with unprecedented levels of efficiency. This advancement in quantum optics brings us closer to quantum networks and next-generation photonic quantum technologies becoming an everyday reality.
The findings were published in Advanced Quantum Technologies on September 2, 2025.
Photons are the backbone of many emerging quantum applications, from secure communication to powerful quantum computers. To make these technologies practical, photons must be routed quickly and reliably, without disturbing the delicate quantum states they carry.