Southampton Dialogues Event Explores How Quantum Networking Could Shape the Future

"We are really at the dawn of the quantum information age."

With that introduction, Stony Brook University President Andrea Goldsmith invited the audience at the latest Stony Brook Southampton Dialogues event to imagine a future that, much like the early days of cellphones and the internet, may seem distant today but has the potential to transform everyday life.

At The Next Wave: Quantum Networking and the Future of Communication, held July 14 at Stony Brook Southampton, Goldsmith was joined by quantum networking pioneer Eden Figueroa, director of Stony Brook's Quantum Institute, endowed presidential professor of physics in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and a joint appointee with Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). Together, they explored what quantum networking is, why it matters and how research underway at Stony Brook could reshape communications, cybersecurity, healthcare and computing.

The discussion comes as federal investment in quantum technologies accelerates, reflecting growing recognition of the field's importance to national security, communications and economic competitiveness.

"It feels similar to me as a wireless communication researcher to the time when I started my own research career back in the 1980s, when the first big brick cell phones had come out," Goldsmith said. "That was a magical time of discovery."

At the time, she noted, the idea of carrying powerful communication devices everywhere seemed almost unimaginable. "Today, the notion of being at the dawn of the quantum age, where the idea of sending secure quantum information anywhere in the world also seems a bit magical," she said. "But fortunately, we have the people to build that magic right here at Stony Brook University."

Throughout the discussion, Figueroa explained the science behind quantum in accessible terms, comparing quantum networking to today's internet enhanced by the unique properties of quantum physics.

Unlike today's internet, where information can potentially be copied without detection, quantum networking relies on the unusual behavior of individual particles of light. Since those particles change when they are observed, any attempt to intercept information can be detected immediately. "It's not about algorithms anymore," Figueroa said. "We only depend on measurement."

That shift, he explained, could eventually provide security that remains effective even as increasingly powerful computers emerge. Research aimed at making that possible is already underway at Stony Brook.

Goldsmith highlighted the university's partnership with BNL, which has established the nation's longest and most complex quantum entanglement network, stretching across Long Island into New York City. The network is laying the groundwork for technologies that could one day protect financial transactions, medical records and other sensitive information in ways not possible today.

"If you don't have any idea what a quantum entanglement network means, that's okay," she said. "I didn't know either, but you should have some answers by the end of this dialogue."

Figueroa noted that Long Island's existing communications infrastructure makes it an ideal place to build that future. "Many people don't know, but Long Island is one of the main nodes on the internet in the United States," he said, noting that major transatlantic fiber optic cables already land on the island. "Innovation starts by identifying opportunities that already exist and then sprinkling quantum into them."

That infrastructure has enabled Stony Brook researchers to deploy quantum equipment at multiple locations across Long Island, creating a growing network where quantum information is already being transmitted. "We are now lighting Long Island with entanglement," Figueroa said.

Researchers are now preparing for the next phase, expanding beyond fiberoptic cables to wireless quantum connections. One planned project, Figueroa said, will link Stony Brook University Hospital and Yale University using quantum communications.

While many of these technologies are still years from widespread use, Figueroa said their earliest applications could have a direct impact on everyday life, from protecting the nation's power grid against cyberattacks to securing sensitive patient information. "We would like to explore how we can use these quantum cryptography connections and security to secure the data produced by our patients," he said. "That is very valuable."

The conversation also focused on preparing the next generation of the quantum workforce. Figueroa described efforts already underway to introduce quantum concepts to high school students through outreach programs, expand educational opportunities through community colleges and develop new undergraduate and graduate programs at Stony Brook, creating pathways into the emerging field.

"We're actually building a whole layer of activation," he said. "We want to reach people so they can explore it, they can discover it and then they can also come to our campuses to pursue these new degrees."

Goldsmith agreed that inspiring students is essential. "If you introduce it to them young, they might think, 'This is what I want to do,'" she said. "It's very exciting."

The discussion also highlighted New York State's historic $300 million investment to establish Stony Brook's Quantum Institute and Innovation hub, which will support new research facilities, faculty recruitment and industry partnerships while helping position Long Island as a global center for quantum technologies.

Goldsmith said she envisions the region becoming "Silicon Island," where advances in quantum science, semiconductors and artificial intelligence fuel the next generation of innovation. "This is where the action is," she said. "This is where the ecosystem is."

She closed the discussion by reflecting on the role public research universities play in tackling challenges that will shape society for decades to come.

"It showcases how Stony Brook continues to set the standard for what a great public research university can achieve," she said. "The nation and the world look to us as a model for the future of American possibility and progress."

- Beth Squire