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Xanadu and Thorlabs Partner to Scale Optical Components for Photonic Quantum Computing

Quantum Computing Report
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⚡ Quantum Brief
Xanadu and Thorlabs announced a strategic partnership in January 2026 to co-develop customized optical fiber components critical for scaling photonic quantum computing systems. The collaboration targets phase and polarization stability in photonic qubits—a major hardware challenge—by leveraging Xanadu’s quantum architecture expertise and Thorlabs’ high-volume manufacturing capabilities. Stable, low-loss fiber optics will reduce qubit overhead and simplify quantum error correction, directly improving the scalability of Xanadu’s Aurora modular quantum systems. The deal follows Xanadu’s planned $3.1 billion public listing via Crane Harbor Acquisition Corp., expected to close Q1 2026, providing $500 million to fund expansion. Combined resources aim to deliver a fault-tolerant quantum computer with up to 100,000 physical qubits by 2029, accelerating commercial quantum data center development.
Xanadu and Thorlabs Partner to Scale Optical Components for Photonic Quantum Computing

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Xanadu and Thorlabs Partner to Scale Optical Components for Photonic Quantum Computing Xanadu Quantum Technologies Inc. and Thorlabs have entered into a strategic partnership to develop customized optical fiber components essential for large-scale photonic quantum computing. The collaboration aims to address critical hardware challenges, specifically phase and polarization stability in photonic qubits. By combining Xanadu’s photonic architecture expertise with Thorlabs’ industrial-scale manufacturing capabilities, the companies intend to accelerate the transition of novel component designs from proof-of-concept to high-volume production for future quantum data centers. Maintaining optical stability is a primary hurdle in photonic systems, as unwanted drift can distort qubit information and lead to computational errors. This partnership focuses on developing stable fiber optics that link key hardware subsystems while minimizing optical loss. Reducing such loss is vital for decreasing physical qubit overhead and easing the requirements for higher-level quantum error correction. The ability to manufacture these high-precision components at a competitive cost and volume is expected to improve the overall scalability of Xanadu’s Aurora modular quantum systems. Strategically, the announcement follows Xanadu’s recent agreement to go public via a business combination with Crane Harbor Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: CHAC). The transaction, expected to close in the first quarter of 2026, values the combined entity at approximately $3.1 billion and is projected to provide $500 million in gross proceeds. This capital infusion, combined with the Thorlabs manufacturing partnership, supports Xanadu’s roadmap to deliver a fault-tolerant quantum computer featuring up to 100,000 physical qubits by 2029. Read the official announcement here. January 13, 2026 Mohamed Abdel-Kareem2026-01-13T08:54:51-08:00 Leave A Comment Cancel replyComment Type in the text displayed above Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

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quantum-computing
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quantum-hardware
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Source: Quantum Computing Report