Photons Fly Across Long Island in Quantum Breakthrough

Invisible particles of light are flying through the air above Long Island, carrying quantum information between Stony Brook University and Brookhaven National Laboratory in a scientific breakthrough that could reshape communications, cybersecurity and computing.

Researchers successfully transmitted photons 13 miles from Stony Brook’s Quantum Watchtower to BNL’s Quantum Lighthouse in Upton, creating a wireless connection within the nation’s longest quantum network.

Quantum information uses the unusual behavior of particles such as photons to store and transmit data. Unlike traditional computer information, which relies on bits representing either a zero or a one, quantum information can combine those possibilities, allowing scientists to explore new approaches to computing and secure communication.

One important advantage is security: Attempting to intercept certain quantum signals can disturb the particles carrying them, potentially exposing eavesdroppers.

The experiment marks the first demonstration of its kind in the United States and adds an airborne component to a network already spanning 161 miles across Long Island and the New York metropolitan area.

During a demonstration, scientists generated light containing only a few individual photons. The particles exited an optical fiber thinner than a human hair, traveled through open air and arrived at a detector inside Brookhaven’s rooftop facility.

The system uses specialized telescopes, mirrors and optical equipment to guide the particles through atmospheric turbulence.

A facility at Yale University is expected to expand the network by transmitting photons approximately 30 miles across Long Island Sound.

Scientists also envision sending quantum signals to orbiting satellites, potentially extending secure communications far beyond conventional fiber-optic infrastructure.

The project builds on New York’s previously announced $300 million investment in a quantum research and innovation hub at Stony Brook University.