NIST Demonstrates Quantum Entanglement Survival Over 38.5 Miles of Ordinary Internet Cable with 92.8% Success Rate

August 9, 2026

Shashi.co USA

Overview

The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) successfully demonstrated that quantum entanglement can survive over 38.5 miles of ordinary unshielded aerial fiber with a 92.8% delivery success rate, sending 1,500 linked photon pairs per second. This experiment, involving “spooky” particles transiting DC suburbs, marks a significant step toward developing a practical quantum network by leveraging existing infrastructure. This breakthrough reduces barriers to widespread quantum communication.

In Depth

Key Findings

Researchers at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have remarkably demonstrated that pairs of quantum-entangled photons can be transmitted over 38.5 miles (approximately 62 km) of ordinary, unshielded aerial fiber optic cable with an exceptionally high delivery success rate of 92.8%. This groundbreaking achievement represents a significant leap forward in the construction of practical quantum networks.

Technical / Clinical Details

The experiment was conducted using existing fiber optic infrastructure laid across the suburbs of Washington D.C. The research team generated 1,500 “spooky” entangled photon pairs per second and transmitted them through the long aerial fiber optic cable. Crucially, this cable was similar to those used for general internet communication, negating the need for special shielding or cooling systems to protect the delicate nature of quantum information. The high success rate of 92.8% clearly indicates that quantum entanglement can be maintained relatively robustly even under real-world environmental conditions, enabling long-distance transmission. This implies that ‘spooky action at a distance’ in quantum information science is transitioning from a scientific marvel to an engineering application.

Background & Context

The construction of a quantum internet is a global research priority, aimed at building the next generation of information and communication infrastructure. However, quantum entanglement, which is at the heart of qubits, is extremely delicate and easily destroyed by environmental noise or losses within optical fibers during long-distance transmission. Consequently, most previous demonstrations of long-distance quantum communication have required specialized low-loss optical fibers or strictly controlled protective environments. NIST’s latest achievement suggests the potential to utilize existing commercial fiber optic infrastructure for quantum networks without extensive modifications, which could dramatically reduce the cost and complexity of deploying a quantum internet.

Strategic Significance & Outlook

This demonstration by NIST is a critical step towards the commercialization and large-scale deployment of quantum network technologies. The ability to maintain quantum entanglement over ordinary internet cables lowers infrastructure construction barriers for the quantum internet, potentially enabling faster implementation. In the future, this technology is expected to be applied to build fully secure Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) networks, interconnect geographically distributed quantum computers, and realize ultra-high-precision quantum sensing. This research will serve as a pivotal milestone in the transition of quantum technology from the laboratory to real-world applications.

Source: https://shashi.co/nist-proves-quantum-entanglement-survives-on-ordinary-internet-cable/

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