Quantum startup QphoX wins $5.8M U.S. Air Force Contract
The Dutch startup QphoX has been awarded, with the American Rigetti, a $5.8 million contract from the American Air Force.
Published on September 19, 2025
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Rigetti Computing and the Dutch startup QphoX have been awarded a $5.8 million contract from the American Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to advance superconducting quantum networking. The project aims to deliver systems that can entangle superconducting qubits with optical photons, a crucial step towards building functional quantum networks.
The project will integrate Rigetti's superconducting microwave qubits with QphoX's single-photon microwave-optical transducers. Qubits are the building blocks of quantum computers, which use tiny, super-cold circuits to process information in a way that’s much more powerful than regular computers for certain tasks. Transducers convert microwave signals (used by the qubits) into optical signals (used by fiber-optic networks, like the internet).
By combining these, the project aims to create a kind of “bridge” that allows quantum computers to communicate over long distances using existing telecom networks. This could help share quantum information securely and efficiently, which is useful for both scientific research and military applications, like secure communications.
Investigating quantum entanglement
According to Matt LaHaye, Principal Research Physicist at AFRL, this represents a transformative step in investigating entanglement distribution, with implications for both fundamental research and Air Force operations. Entanglement is a special connection between two or more qubits where the state of one particle instantly influences the state of the other.
Subodh Kulkarni, CEO of Rigetti, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, noting that combining Rigetti's expertise in superconducting qubits with QphoX's transduction technology and AFRL's knowledge in networked quantum systems presents an exciting opportunity.
Simon Groeblacher, CEO of QphoX, emphasized that bringing their technology to an end-user who is developing quantum networks based on superconducting qubits linked with optical interconnects marks a critical milestone.
The Air Force Research Laboratory is actively working on developing heterogeneous quantum interconnects to integrate various matter-based quantum technologies, including superconducting qubits, into their telecom-based QLANs located in Rome, NY.
