The company's roadmap includes two pathways: one for a 'Quantum Network for the Quantum World' aimed at distributed quantum computing, and another for a 'Quantum Network for the Classical World' to enhance existing networks with quantum principles.

The ability to connect quantum systems could lead to rapid data processing capabilities, indicating a significant technological shift that could disrupt various industries.

Cisco has unveiled a prototype quantum networking chip designed to connect quantum computers, alongside the opening of a new laboratory in California to advance its quantum technology initiatives.

Developed in collaboration with UC Santa Barbara, the entanglement chip operates at room temperature and generates 200 million entangled photon pairs per second, facilitating quantum teleportation essential for secure communication.

Vijoy Pandey, Cisco's senior vice president, emphasized the chip's capability for global clock synchronization, which is crucial for accurate data processing and global data snapshots.

Cisco's strategy focuses on networking smaller quantum computers to create larger, distributed systems, rather than developing a single large-scale processor.

To ensure security in a post-quantum environment, Cisco is implementing Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) standards across its products, addressing potential security threats posed by quantum computing.

Cisco's quantum data center architecture consists of three layers: a physical layer with specialized quantum hardware, an entanglement management layer for resource distribution, and a computing layer for algorithm partitioning.

The new chip aims to address scalability challenges of current quantum processors, which typically have only a few hundred qubits, by promoting distributed quantum networks.

Cisco anticipates practical applications of the chip before quantum computers become mainstream, including synchronizing trade timings for financial firms and aiding scientists in meteorite detection.

The lab, which has been in development for several years, aims to bridge theoretical concepts with practical implementations in quantum networking.

Cisco has joined the Quantum Datacenter Alliance (QDA) to focus on scalability and interoperability in quantum networking, positioning itself as a key player in developing quantum data center infrastructure.