{
  "id": 190163,
  "title": "'Spooky' particles transit DC suburbs, a step toward a quantum network",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/spooky-particles-transit-dc-suburbs-a-step-toward-a-quantum-network",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-05T20:30:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-08-spooky-particles-transit-dc-suburbs.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In early 2025, researchers successfully transmitted quantum particles through a fiber-optic network above the streets and sidewalks of Maryland suburbs, bringing the world closer to a quantum network. Quantum networks rely on entanglement, a phenomenon where objects share a unified quantum state, allowing them to be described collectively even when far apart. This advance, reported in the Journal of Optical Communications and Networking, could potentially revolutionize fields such as astronomy, seismology, and drug discovery by enabling long-distance links between quantum devices.\n\nQuantum networks face significant challenges, including preserving entangled states in harsh environments. Fiber-optic networks, which typically experience distortions from temperature changes, mechanical disturbances, and environmental factors, pose a major hurdle for quantum networking. In their study, researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Joint Quantum Institute, and Qunnect tested whether quantum networks could operate on existing fiber-optic infrastructure used for regular internet communication.\n\nTo address this issue, the researchers employed reference light beams to measure and counteract the changes in polarization caused by the fibers. By stabilizing the photons' polarizations in real-time, they successfully transmitted 1,500 entangled photons per second over a distance of 62 kilometers (38.5 miles). Although this rate requires improvement for practical applications, the experiment demonstrated that quantum networking protocols could function effectively in real-world conditions, even amidst extreme environmental challenges.",
  "summary": "In early 2025, special signals wended their way through a fiber-optic highway strung above the streets and sidewalks of the Maryland suburbs. The arrival of those signals at their destination marks a significant step toward a long-held dream of building a \"quantum network.\" Researchers believe that this emerging technology could someday link quantum devices in ways that supercharge scientific…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}