A new $15 million, five-year Tennessee Quantum Communications Research Center in Chattanooga, launched by IonQ and EPB, embeds quantum memory research in EPB’s live fiber network to advance commercial memory for quantum repeaters.

The center aims to interconnect quantum computers across locations and end users, building the backbone for a future Quantum Internet and broader industrial applications.

Officials say the project will drive economic growth, create jobs, and position Tennessee as a hub for quantum technology development and commercialization.

Quantum memory stores and retrieves quantum states without copying them, enabling entanglement-based repeaters crucial for long-distance quantum networks despite no-cloning and fiber losses.

IonQ’s Niccolo de Masi stresses that fiber-based quantum memories are essential for long-range architectures and speeding commercialization of the Quantum Internet.

Three parallel developments in 2026—multi-node entanglement from Duke/IonQ, coexistence of quantum signals with live traffic, and the memory-in-network center—address the missing link for practical quantum repeaters, focusing on memory latency, fidelity, and storage time.

Unlike lab demos, the center tests memory performance under real-world conditions, including temperature fluctuations, electromagnetic interference, and coexisting classical traffic on live fiber.

The center tackles practical engineering challenges such as telecom C-band wavelength compatibility and quantum frequency conversion to bridge non-telecom memory wavelengths with fiber infrastructure.

Leaders emphasize accelerating commercialization of the quantum internet through Quantum Memory and fiber optics, strengthening Chattanooga and Tennessee’s role in the quantum economy.

Framed as a foundational step toward a practical quantum internet, the effort seeks to move memory-based repeaters from lab demonstrations to operational reality within a decade, with broader implications for national tech ecosystems and workforce development.

Key quotes stress interconnecting quantum systems, commercialization and regional benefits, and Chattanooga’s mayor calling it a historic turning point for the city.

IonQ operates in multiple states and countries and reported 99.99% two-qubit gate fidelity in 2025.