Breakthrough in Eindhoven improves connection quantum chips
MicroAlign doubles fiber channels, reducing light loss for photonic quantum chips.
Published on December 8, 2025
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MicroAlign, a company based in Eindhoven that manufactures fiber optic components for chips, has taken a major step forward. They can now produce 24 fiber optic channels in a single component. This technology is used for quantum photonic computers. Thanks to MicroAlign, photonic chips can be coupled more efficiently, enabling the scalable development of larger quantum systems.
Quantum photonic computers calculate using light particles (photons). The relevance of MicroAlign’s result lies in the need for extremely low fiber-to-chip coupling loss, which is critical to maintaining qubit coherence and scaling devices to the point where quantum processors can surpass classical computing performance.
Many companies place fiber optics in fixed grooves. But that is not accurate enough for quantum technology. MicroAlign does it differently. Each fiber optic is actively positioned during production. A machine continuously monitors and corrects this. This ensures that the fibers remain accurately positioned.
MicroAlign will present these 24-channel fiber optic arrays at SPIE Photonics West, a major international conference for lasers, optics, and quantum technology. The presentation is scheduled for January 20, 2026.