Quantum internet leap: new OS makes quantum networks closer
QNodesOS, the first quantum network operative system, brings the quantum internet closer, enabling easy programming.
Published on March 13, 2025
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A group of international researchers has created the first operating system for quantum networks: QNodesOS. This development is a step forward towards making quantum network technology more accessible by allowing the effortless execution and programming of applications across diverse quantum processors. The architecture supports tasks from messaging to quantum entanglement coordination across nodes, laying the groundwork for a scalable global quantum internet by 2030. The system was developed by Quantum Internet Alliance (QIA) scientists at the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), QuTech, University of Innsbruck, INRIA and CNRS.
Quantum technology represents a revolutionary approach to computing and communication. At its core, quantum technology harnesses the unique properties of the smallest particles in our universe - electrons and photons - to perform calculations and process information in ways that classical computers cannot match. This capability was dramatically demonstrated when Google's quantum processors achieved calculations that would take traditional supercomputers several years to complete.
Quantum internet
Quantum networks represent the next frontier in this technological revolution, enabling applications that are impossible with classical communication alone. These networks connect quantum processors as end nodes, creating a framework for unprecedented computational capabilities and secure communication. While early quantum networks have been demonstrated in laboratory settings, they have historically relied on specialized, ad hoc software specific to each experimental setup.
QNodeOS: a breakthrough in accessibility
The newly developed QNodeOS addresses a critical gap in quantum network technology. As Professor Stephanie Wehner of TU Delft's QuTech explains, 'The goal of our research is to bring quantum network technology to all. With QNodeOS we're taking a big step forward. We're making it possible – for the first time – to program and execute applications on a quantum network easily." The system's architecture enables developers to focus on creating applications rather than wrestling with hardware specifics, managing complex tasks including quantum memory management and entanglement requests.
QNodeOS operates through a sophisticated dual-processing system, combining a classical network processing unit (CNPU) with a quantum network processing unit (QNPU). The system has demonstrated remarkable capabilities, including extending qubit coherence times to 13 milliseconds. Perhaps most impressively, it has achieved the first concurrent execution of multiple quantum applications on a quantum network, marking a significant step toward practical quantum computing.
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Future implications
The development of QNodeOS aligns with broader quantum computing timelines, as experts project that truly useful quantum computing could be realized between 2035 and 2045. The Quantum Internet Alliance aims to integrate these systems into a scalable, global quantum internet by 2030, potentially revolutionizing fields from secure communication to medical research, where quantum computers could enable the development of personalized medications through precise protein interaction calculations.
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