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PsiQuantum has demonstrated an 8×8 optical circuit switch built on silicon photonics technology developed for its quantum computing program. The company reports 1.2 dB insertion loss, 40 dB crosstalk performance and reconfiguration in less than 3 milliseconds; independent validation, commercial specifications and customer commitments have not been disclosed.
PsiQuantum has unveiled an 8×8 optical circuit switching demonstration aimed at connecting computing equipment in AI data centers, reporting laboratory results of 1.2 dB insertion loss, 40 dB crosstalk performance and reconfiguration in under 3 milliseconds. The company says it is sharing samples with selected prospective customers as it develops commercial products, while continuing its fault-tolerant quantum computing program.
The demonstration is built on PsiQuantum’s low-loss silicon photonics platform, which the company says it has spent nearly a decade developing for utility-scale quantum computing. According to the company, testing in its laboratories produced typical insertion loss of 1.2 dB and crosstalk performance of 40 dB, with switching reconfiguration taking less than 3 ms. PsiQuantum said the results exceeded its initial targets and were achieved without optical amplification.
The company has not described the demonstration as a commercially available product. It says samples are being provided to selected prospective customers and that it is advancing the platform toward commercial products, with further announcements expected in the coming months. No customer names, deployment plans, product pricing or commercial availability dates were included in the announcement.
PsiQuantum also said its demonstration vehicle and initial products do not require barium titanate (BTO) integration. The company has developed BTO integration at the 300mm wafer scale and uses a 64×64 BTO switch in its quantum systems, but characterized that capability as a possible path to faster, more advanced future products rather than a component of the current demonstration.
Optical Links for Growing AI Clusters
AI systems increasingly rely on large pools of computing hardware that must exchange data across networks. Optical circuit switches can redirect optical connections between devices; if deployed effectively, they could give data center operators another way to manage connectivity as workloads and clusters grow. PsiQuantum’s announcement matters because it presents a potential commercial use for technology developed in its quantum computing effort, not just a component intended for future quantum machines.
The reported measurements are company laboratory results, not evidence that the switch has been tested at scale in an operating data center. Its practical value will depend on performance under real operating conditions, including reliability, integration with existing network equipment, power use and the economics of deployment. The announcement establishes a demonstration and early customer sampling, but not adoption or a proven improvement in AI system performance.
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Quantum Photonics Behind the Demonstration
PsiQuantum’s stated core objective remains building fault-tolerant quantum computers. The company says its work has required demanding performance from its photonics platform and argues that some capabilities developed for quantum systems can also serve AI infrastructure. The newly announced switch is an application of that platform to optical connectivity, rather than an announcement that the company has completed or deployed a quantum computer.
The announcement follows a September 2026 company update on definitive documentation with the U.S. Department of Commerce related to research and development, domestic manufacturability and performance of critical components, including optical switches. That earlier agreement provides a policy and manufacturing backdrop, but the current announcement does not specify how it will affect production capacity or the timing of commercial switch products.
““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 Remains Undisclosed
PsiQuantum has not released independent test results or detailed test conditions, so it is not clear how the reported measurements compare with competing products or how they would hold up in production environments. The announcement also does not specify the switch’s port-level design details beyond its 8×8 radix, expected system capacity, reliability over time, power requirements or compatibility with customer networks.
It remains unknown which prospective customers are receiving samples, whether any have agreed to evaluate or buy the technology, and when commercial products could ship. The company’s planned announcements in the coming months are an stated development plan, not a confirmed launch schedule.
Customer Sampling and Product Plans
PsiQuantum says it is sharing demonstration samples with selected prospective customers and developing commercial products. The next useful indicators will be further product specifications, customer evaluation results, manufacturing plans and a defined availability timeline. The company has said it expects to announce commercial products in the coming months, but has not given a specific date.
For now, PsiQuantum says it will pursue the AI connectivity opportunity alongside its work on fault-tolerant quantum computers. Whether the optical switch becomes a deployable data center product will depend on validation beyond the company’s laboratory demonstration and on customer decisions that have not yet been announced.
Key Questions
What did PsiQuantum announce?
It announced an 8×8 optical circuit switching demonstration for AI data center connectivity, built on its silicon photonics platform developed for quantum computing.
What performance results 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. The figures are company-reported; independent validation was not provided in the announcement.
Is the optical switch commercially available?
No commercial availability date 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 said BTO is not required for the demonstration vehicle or initial products. It described its BTO capability as a possible route to faster, more advanced future products.
Does this mean PsiQuantum has completed a quantum computer?
No. The announcement concerns an optical switch demonstration for data center connectivity. PsiQuantum said it will continue its work toward fault-tolerant quantum computers.
Source: thequantuminsider.com
