Florida State University to launch quantum communication testbed

Florida State University (FSU) will establish a campus-scale quantum communication testbed following the acquisition of $2.1 million in federal Community Project Funding from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The project, supported by U.S. Representative Daniel Webster, aims to create the first quantum communications testbed facility in the southeastern United States.

The testbed will physically connect a central hub in FSU’s Interdisciplinary Research and Commercialization Building with receiver nodes located at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. Using existing campus fiber resources, researchers will transmit and monitor entangled photons to assess link reliability.

A primary goal of the initiative is to transition quantum communication from controlled laboratory settings to reliable real-world applications. To achieve this, the system’s reconfigurable optical links will be tested under environmental stresses such as strong air turbulence, high magnetic fields, and cryogenic thermal cycling.