IonQ sets quantum networking record above 1,000 links per second

IonQ announced on October 9, 2026, that it achieved quantum entanglement rates above 1,000 per second (1 kHz) between a trapped ion qubit and a solid-state quantum memory. The connection operates through a photonic interconnect, setting what the company describes as the fastest quantum interconnect rate between qubits on any platform.

The test demonstrated an end-to-end link between a trapped ion system and a silicon vacancy qubit. This rate is more than four times faster than the previous record for trapped ions, which was held by a Duke University research team led by IonQ co-founder Chris Monroe.

The technology supports IonQ's work with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) under the HARQ program, which focuses on high-speed quantum links. The company expects the underlying design to work across multiple qubit formats, including neutral atoms and superconducting systems with transducers.

IonQ is also scaling the platform commercially. The company announced its first commercial sale to the University of Maryland in April and confirmed a second system sale to SDT in South Korea in September.