# Researchers Beam Quantum Information Through Open Air for the First Time in the U.S., Proving Fiber Isn't the Only Path Forward **Source:** https://glitchwire.com/news/researchers-beam-quantum-information-through-open-air-for-the-first-time-in-the/ **Published:** 2026-08-22T10:20:07.439Z **Author:** Science Desk · Glitchwire **Categories:** Science, Tech ## Summary Scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory and Stony Brook University sent entangled photons 13 miles through the atmosphere, adding a wireless leg to the country's longest quantum network. ## Article A team of researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's [Brookhaven National Laboratory](https://www.bnl.gov/) and Stony Brook University has accomplished something no one else in the country has done: they beamed particles of light carrying quantum information across 13 miles of open atmosphere between two institutions on Long Island. The transmission, which took place on August 19 at 12:26 a.m. ET, represents the first permanent free-space optical quantum link in the United States. At a ceremony two days later, DOE Under Secretary for Science Darío Gil cut a ribbon on the receiving telescope as photons arrived in real time from Stony Brook's Quantum Watchtower. The daytime demonstration proved the system works even when background light levels are high. ## How It Works Conventional wireless technologies like cell phones and satellites rely on radio frequencies to send data without physical connections. But radio is far too noisy to preserve the fragile states required for quantum information. The Brookhaven and Stony Brook team turned instead to optical light, sending photons through the air the same way astronomers collect light from distant stars. From the rooftop of Stony Brook's Health Sciences Center, photons exited an optical fiber just five microns in diameter and traveled 21 kilometers to Brookhaven's Quantum Lighthouse, a facility perched atop a seven-story building. Adaptive optics expanded the beam to 25 inches to match the receiving telescope's mirror, then focused it back down to enter another five-micron fiber on the other side. Deformable mirrors running at kilohertz frequencies compensated for atmospheric turbulence in real time. "People think of telescopes as tools for looking up into space, but the same technologies that allow astronomers to precisely collect and control light are essential for these quantum experiments," said Justine Haupt, Brookhaven's lead scientist on the project. ## What Makes This Different The free-space optical link plugs directly into a 161-mile fiber-optic quantum network connecting eight nodes across Long Island and the New York metropolitan area. A third facility at [Yale University](https://www.yale.edu/) in New Haven is currently under development. Unlike fiber networks that require telecom-band wavelengths around 1550 nanometers, free-space links can transmit infrared wavelengths native to atomic systems, eliminating the need for wavelength conversion when interfacing with quantum processors. The wireless capability is significant because it removes dependence on underground infrastructure. Fiber cables can be cut, tapped, or simply unavailable in locations where secure communication is needed. A line-of-sight optical link, by contrast, requires only clear weather. Fog remains a limitation, but the tradeoff opens possibilities that fiber cannot offer. ## The Path to Practical Quantum Networks The Long Island experiment belongs to a broader effort to build what researchers call the quantum internet. Unlike classical networks, quantum networks transmit information using entangled photons, pairs of particles that remain correlated regardless of distance. Measuring one photon instantly reveals information about its partner, a property that enables fundamentally secure communication. Any attempt to intercept the signal disturbs the quantum state, making eavesdropping detectable. For ordinary consumers, the implications are still distant. Experts estimate that critical infrastructure will begin using [quantum-secured communication](/news/openai-paused-frontier-model-training-for-two-weeks-over-cybersecurity-concerns/) within five to ten years, while businesses handling sensitive data may adopt it within ten to twenty. Everyday communication will likely continue relying on conventional encryption for decades. But the technology is already finding applications in high-stakes sectors. Financial institutions including JPMorgan Chase have experimented with quantum key distribution (QKD) to protect transactions. In Switzerland, QKD secures the network connecting vote-counting locations. Researchers in Germany recently demonstrated a quantum-secure telemedicine system linking rural health clinics to hospitals over 140 kilometers of fiber. Toshiba has deployed QKD for genome data protection and healthcare back-office systems. ## Room-Temperature Quantum Memory A key piece of the puzzle comes from [Qunnect](https://www.qunnect.inc/), a startup founded in 2017 to commercialize technology developed in Eden Figueroa's lab at Stony Brook. Most quantum systems require cooling to temperatures colder than outer space, which makes widespread deployment impractical. Qunnect developed room-temperature quantum memory using rubidium atoms, enabling storage and retrieval of quantum states without exotic refrigeration. The company is now supplying quantum-network hardware to industry partners, part of a broader push toward what Stony Brook President Andrea Goldsmith called the "Quantum Internet of Things." Applications in finance, healthcare, and [cybersecurity](/news/major-hedge-funds-hit-by-coordinated-ai-voice-phishing-campaign/) are the most immediate targets, but the underlying technology could eventually touch consumer devices. Samsung's Galaxy Quantum2 already integrates QKD technology through a partnership with SK Telecom, one of the first consumer-facing implementations of quantum cryptography. ## Beaming Into The Future The Long Island network will continue expanding. Researchers plan to establish sustained wireless exchange of entangled photons between institutions and eventually extend the network to include the Yale node. The goal, according to DOE Under Secretary Gil, is to prove that "the future of quantum information science will depend not only on what individual quantum computers and devices can do but on our ability to connect them." For now, the Quantum Lighthouse sits atop its building in Upton, receiving particles of light from a rooftop 13 miles away. It's infrastructure, not a product. But infrastructure tends to matter more than products in the long run. --- **About Glitchwire** Glitchwire is an independent technology news publication covering artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, science, security, policy, finance, and the broader technology industry. 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