QuTech Aims to Overcome Entanglement Decay with New Solid-State Quantum Devices
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QuTech researcher Tim Taminiau has received a NWO Vici grant to address a critical challenge hindering the development of practical quantum networks: entanglement decay. The project, titled “Sustained entanglement over solid-state quantum networks,” will focus on building multi-node networks where entanglement remains continuously available, moving beyond current systems limited to occasional connections. Taminiau plans to utilize silicon-carbide devices, specifically spin qubits based on silicon-vacancy (VSi) centers, to create entanglement links that can be replenished faster than they are lost, a key step toward scalability. “Right now, we can create entanglement in a probabilistic way. When you don’t succeed early enough, all previously created quantum states in the network are lost, forcing one to start all over,” Taminiau explains, outlining the need for a more robust system capable of supporting larger and more complex quantum computations. Silicon-Vacancy Qubits in Silicon Carbide for Quantum Networks This research addresses a key bottleneck preventing the scaling of quantum networks to larger, more capable systems, as maintaining coherence in quantum states during distribution proves challenging. Taminiau’s work aims to develop devices capable of replenishing entanglement links faster than they are lost, enabling sustained multi-node connections. Taminiau, group leader at QuTech, intends to utilize silicon-vacancy (VSi) qubits in silicon carbide (SiC) to achieve this goal, recognizing SiC as an industrially mature semiconductor with existing nanofabrication capabilities. These VSi qubits operate at relatively high temperatures—up to 20 Kelvin—potentially simplifying hardware scaling compared to platforms requiring much colder environments. The QuTech project will focus on creating network nodes containing multiple qubits, combining a communication qubit for entanglement distribution with a register of nuclear-spin qubits for quantum state storage and processing. “This combination of fast entanglement rates, robust quantum memory, and scalable device fabrication might be the key to more complex networks,” Taminiau says, anticipating the ability to explore advanced protocols like entanglement distillation and distributed quantum error correction to realize large-scale quantum networks.
Fast Entanglement Creation Regimes Overcome Decoherence Bottlenecks Current quantum networking efforts are largely constrained by the ephemeral nature of entanglement, a phenomenon vital for quantum communication but susceptible to rapid decay—a challenge QuTech researcher Tim Taminiau is addressing with a recently awarded NWO Vici grant. The project, “Sustained entanglement over solid-state quantum networks,” focuses on establishing continuously available entanglement across multi-node networks, moving beyond the current state of probabilistic entanglement creation. A critical issue is that while attempting to establish new entangled states, existing quantum states can lose coherence, hindering scalability and more complex computations. Taminiau’s work seeks to overcome this limitation by developing devices that rapidly generate entanglement through optical interconnects while simultaneously providing robust, long-lived quantum memory. The core of this approach lies in silicon-vacancy (VSi) qubits within silicon carbide (SiC), a semiconductor material chosen for its nanofabrication capabilities and potential for scalability. The goal is to achieve a regime where entanglement creation outpaces its decay, enabling the use of multiple entangled states for larger, more intricate networks. It then becomes possible to investigate advanced protocols, such as entanglement distillation and distributed quantum error correction, which can ultimately be used to overcome imperfections and realize large-scale quantum networks. Source: https://qutech.nl/2026/02/26/nwo-vici-grant-for-tim-taminiau-quantum-networks-that-stay-entangled/ Tags: Quantum News There is so much happening right now in the field of technology, whether AI or the march of robots. Adrian is an expert on how technology can be transformative, especially frontier technologies. But Quantum occupies a special space. Quite literally a special space. A Hilbert space infact, haha! Here I try to provide some of the news that is considered breaking news in the Quantum Computing and Quantum tech space. Latest Posts by Quantum News: SEALSQ Expands Japan Presence to Support 2035 Quantum Security Mandate February 27, 2026 Quantum eMotion Strengthens Cybersecurity Strategy with SecureKey Platform Acquisition February 27, 2026 Rice Researchers Link Stacking Faults to Weakened Performance in Ultrathin Materials February 27, 2026