The First Operating System for Quantum Networks Has Been Developed

Researchers have developed the first operating system designed for use in quantum networks. This new system is expected to accelerate the real-world implementation of the quantum internet. As a step towards a useful and ultra-secure quantum internet, the researchers created an operating system capable of coordinating connected quantum computers, regardless of the hardware used.

After developing this operating system, researchers noted that connecting quantum computers became significantly easier. Researchers from TU Delft, QuTech, University of Innsbruck, INRIA, and CNRS, all members of the Quantum Internet Alliance (QIA), recently announced the creation of the world’s first quantum network operating system. These teams have long been working on linking quantum computers through networks to enable data exchange. Wehner and her colleagues developed a method to operate quantum networks in a more universal way.

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Successfully Tested

The operating system includes software capable of controlling devices within a quantum network, regardless of the type of qubits (quantum bits) involved.

The researchers tested the system, named QNodeOS, using two different quantum computers and multiple tasks to demonstrate its flexibility. One quantum computer was based on processed diamonds, while the other used electrically charged atoms. In these tests, they executed a program similar to running a cloud computation from a laptop — effectively simulating a delegated quantum computation. Additionally, they tested multitasking capabilities by running two programs simultaneously on QNodeOS.

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Works Efficiently Across Different Platforms

Quantum network applications differ from standard applications run on quantum computers, introducing unique challenges for researchers. Unlike traditional quantum computers that run a single program, quantum network applications require different programs to be executed independently on different network nodes, similar to a client-server setup — like an app on your phone communicating with a cloud server.

The findings confirmed that the new operating system functions properly with both types of quantum hardware.

The team now plans to make QNodeOS accessible to other researchers in order to accelerate further development of this promising technology.

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