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PsiQuantum has demonstrated an 8×8 optical circuit switch based on the low-loss silicon photonics platform it developed for quantum computing. The company reports 1.2 dB insertion loss, 40 dB crosstalk performance and reconfiguration in under 3 milliseconds; selected prospective customers are receiving samples as PsiQuantum works toward commercial products.
PsiQuantum has unveiled an 8×8 optical circuit switching demonstration for potential use in AI data centers, applying its low-loss silicon photonics platform—developed for utility-scale quantum computing—to network connectivity. The company says lab tests recorded 1.2 dB insertion loss, 40 dB crosstalk performance and reconfiguration in less than 3 milliseconds, without optical amplification; the results have not been independently verified in the supplied material.
PsiQuantum describes the device as a demonstration vehicle, not a commercially available product. It is sharing samples with selected prospective customers while advancing the platform toward commercial products, which the company says it expects to announce in the coming months. The demonstration’s 8×8 radix describes its switching configuration; the announcement does not provide a full system deployment or customer trial result.
The performance figures come from testing in PsiQuantum’s laboratories. The company says the typical results exceeded its initial targets and were achieved without amplification. It did not provide test protocols, operating conditions, sample counts or third-party measurements in the source material, details that would help establish how the results compare with other switching systems.
PsiQuantum says its initial optical-switching products will not require barium titanate (BTO), a material it has integrated at 300-millimeter wafer scale. The company says it uses a 64×64 BTO switch in its quantum systems and presents BTO as a possible route to faster, more advanced future products—not as part of the demonstrated device described in this announcement.
Optical Links for Growing AI Clusters
AI data centers connect large pools of computing equipment, and the movement of data between those systems can constrain how infrastructure scales. Optical circuit switches are intended to direct optical connections between devices or groups of devices. PsiQuantum is positioning its demonstration as a possible way to address connectivity demands as AI computing grows, but the announcement does not establish that the device has improved throughput, power use or operating costs in a live data center.
The development also gives PsiQuantum a potential commercial application for technology it has been building for quantum computing. If the company can turn the lab demonstration into reliable products that meet customer requirements, it could serve a market beyond its long-term quantum-computing program. For data center operators, the practical value will depend on factors not yet reported, including scale, reliability, integration requirements and performance under real workloads.
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A Quantum Platform With Another Use
PsiQuantum says it has spent nearly a decade developing its silicon photonics platform to meet requirements for utility-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers. The company argues that these requirements exceed many of those for AI data center optical switching, allowing the same underlying technology to be applied to a nearer-term infrastructure market. That comparison is the company’s characterization; the announcement does not give a detailed technical comparison of the two applications.
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 source does not specify how that arrangement relates to production plans for the new 8×8 demonstration.
“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, chief executive officer of PsiQuantum
Testing and Product Details Pending
The reported metrics are PsiQuantum’s own laboratory results; the available source includes no independent validation or customer deployment data. It is not clear how the switch performs at larger scale, how it would integrate with existing data center networks, or what reliability and operating requirements it would meet in commercial settings.
PsiQuantum has not announced product specifications, pricing, production capacity or a release date. The company also has not identified the prospective customers receiving samples. Its claims about the potential benefits of optics for AI infrastructure describe the opportunity, not measured outcomes from this demonstration.
Customer Samples and Product Plans
PsiQuantum says it is sharing demonstration samples with selected prospective customers and advancing the platform toward commercial products. It has said product announcements are expected in the coming months, but has not provided a specific date. Customer evaluations and further technical disclosures could clarify whether the reported lab performance carries over to data center use.
The company says it will continue work on fault-tolerant quantum computers while developing the switching application. The next significant evidence will be product-level specifications, independent or customer testing, and details about manufacturing and deployment. Those milestones have not yet been reported.
Key Questions
What did PsiQuantum announce?
It announced an 8×8 optical circuit switching demonstration based on its silicon photonics platform, with potential use in AI data center connectivity.
What performance results did PsiQuantum report?
The company reported typical laboratory results of 1.2 dB insertion loss, 40 dB crosstalk performance and reconfiguration in under 3 milliseconds, without optical amplification. These figures have not been independently verified in the supplied source.
Is the switch commercially available?
No. PsiQuantum calls it a demonstration vehicle and says it is sending samples to selected prospective customers while developing commercial products.
When will PsiQuantum announce commercial products?
The company says products will be announced in the coming months, but it has not provided a specific date or detailed product specifications.
Does the demonstrated switch use barium titanate?
PsiQuantum says BTO is not required for the demonstration vehicle or its initial products. The company describes BTO integration as a potential path for more advanced future products.
Source: thequantuminsider.com
