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PsiQuantum has demonstrated an 8×8 optical circuit switch built on its silicon photonics platform, reporting 1.2 dB insertion loss, 40 dB crosstalk performance and reconfiguration in less than 3 milliseconds without amplification. The company is sending samples to selected prospective customers and says it plans commercial products in the coming months; independent validation and product deployment details were not provided.
PsiQuantum has demonstrated an 8×8 optical circuit switch aimed at AI data center networks, reporting low signal loss and reconfiguration in less than three milliseconds. The company says it is sharing demonstration samples with selected prospective customers as it develops commercial products, but it has not announced a release date or customer deployments.
The demonstration uses PsiQuantum’s low-loss silicon photonics platform, developed over nearly a decade for its utility-scale quantum computing program. The company reports typical laboratory results of 1.2 dB insertion loss, 40 dB crosstalk performance and less than 3 milliseconds to reconfigure the switch. PsiQuantum said the measurements were achieved without optical amplification and exceeded its initial targets.
The 8×8 device is a demonstration vehicle, not a disclosed production system. PsiQuantum says it is providing samples to selected prospective customers and advancing the platform toward commercial optical switching products, which it expects to announce in the coming months. It did not identify the prospective customers or specify product pricing, capacity, deployment plans or availability.
The company also said barium titanate (BTO) integration is not needed for this demonstration or its initial planned products. PsiQuantum has developed BTO integration at 300-millimeter wafer scale and uses a 64×64 BTO switch in its quantum systems, which it describes as a possible route to faster, more advanced future products. The announcement does not say that BTO is part of the 8×8 demonstration.
Optical Switching Targets Network Bottlenecks
AI data centers depend on networks that move information among large pools of computing hardware. As those systems grow, the links connecting processors and other equipment can constrain how efficiently workloads run. Optical circuit switching is one approach to directing light between network paths, and PsiQuantum is seeking to adapt technology developed for quantum computing to this infrastructure market.
The reported measurements may interest data center operators and equipment makers evaluating how optical switches could fit into their networks. But the announcement establishes a company-reported laboratory demonstration, not proof of improved performance or lower costs in a live AI data center. Results under operating conditions, system-level compatibility, reliability, power use and manufacturing economics were not supplied, so the practical effect remains to be tested.
For PsiQuantum, the effort could create a commercial application for its photonics platform while it continues its quantum computing work. That is a company strategy, not evidence that the switch will speed up AI systems or quantum development. Any such impact depends on product performance and adoption.
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Quantum Photonics Meets Data Center Demand
PsiQuantum says it has spent nearly a decade developing silicon photonics for fault-tolerant quantum computers. The company argues that the performance requirements it pursued for that work exceed many of those needed for optical switching in AI data centers. That comparison is part of PsiQuantum’s rationale for bringing the platform to a second market; the announcement does not provide an independent comparison of product specifications.
The company’s announcement follows a September 2026 development: PsiQuantum said it had signed definitive documentation with the U.S. Department of Commerce to accelerate research and development, domestic manufacturability and performance of critical components, including optical switches. The October demonstration announcement did not detail how that agreement relates to the 8×8 device, its production schedule or any funding or manufacturing commitments.
“This opportunity exists because we chose to solve the hardest scaling problems at the beginning of our roadmap to utility-scale quantum computing.”
— Victor Peng, PsiQuantum chief executive
Independent Tests and Deployments Pending
The performance figures come from PsiQuantum’s own laboratory tests. The announcement does not describe test methods in enough detail to assess how results compare with competing switches, nor does it report third-party testing or operation in a customer data center. It is also unclear which prospective customers are receiving samples and what evaluation criteria they will use.
Commercial readiness remains uncertain. PsiQuantum has not disclosed a launch date, production volumes, pricing, power consumption, reliability over time or compatibility with specific network equipment. The company’s planned announcements in the coming months may provide more information, but no products or customer purchases are confirmed in the source material.
Customer Evaluations and Product Plans
PsiQuantum says it will continue sharing demonstration samples with selected prospective customers while developing commercial products. It plans to announce those products in the coming months, though it has not given a specific date or said what specifications will be published.
Readers will be able to judge the switch’s commercial significance more clearly when the company provides details on customer evaluations, system integration and production plans. Independent or customer-reported results from real network deployments would help establish whether the laboratory performance translates into useful data center operations.
Key Questions
What did PsiQuantum demonstrate?
It demonstrated an 8×8 optical circuit switch built on its silicon photonics platform and intended for AI data center connectivity. It is described as a demonstration vehicle, not a production deployment.
What performance did the company report?
PsiQuantum reported typical laboratory measurements of 1.2 dB insertion loss, 40 dB crosstalk performance and less than 3 milliseconds of reconfiguration time, without optical amplification. These are company-reported results.
Is the switch available to buy?
No commercial availability was announced. PsiQuantum says it is sharing samples with selected prospective customers and plans to announce commercial products in the coming months.
Does the demonstration use barium titanate?
No. PsiQuantum says BTO is not required for the demonstration vehicle or its initial planned products. The company says BTO integration could support faster, more advanced future products.
Have the results been verified independently?
The source material describes testing conducted in PsiQuantum’s laboratories and does not report independent verification or customer deployment results.
Source: thequantuminsider.com
