Under New York City lies a patchwork of long-dormant dark fibers that are now illuminating with entangled rubidium atoms.

In our conversation with Noel Goddard, CEO of Qunnect, we learn about the tough tech testbed named GothamQ. Qunnect is pioneering the future of the telecom industry by transforming existing fiber optics into quantum networks, providing a robust, secure communication channel for the next evolution of the digital age.

Qunnect’s rubidium-based networking devices promise to safeguard communications against eavesdropping by ensuring that any attempts at interception destroy the transmitted message. This makes digital communications that are provably secure, and is gaining attention as a key component of a layered approach to quantum networking solutions that meet the needs of clients ranging from enterprise players to government agencies.

“We work in atomic vapor,” Goddard says, “we use the same vapor that they [atomic clocks for Global Positioning Systems] do. What's nice about it is that atoms are the same everywhere in the universe, so whether it's outer space, underwater, on a mountain… atoms provide a very high precision reference tool.” Quantum networking protocols require sophisticated levels of precision “which has never been seen by normal digital communications”, adding that “atoms offer a very interesting way to do that because of this ability to locally reference them” at scale. Qunnect’s networking hardware is a physical manifestation of decades of basic and applied research into quantum physics, information theory, and optics, with the GothamQ test site as the next evolution in the broadening deployment of their hardware portfolio composed of quantum sources, quantum memory, wavelength referencers, and more.

In a candid moment, Goddard acknowledges the unique challenges facing quantum science startups, including the need for substantial capital investment and the patience to develop highly complex and sensitive technologies. However, she remains optimistic about the future, highlighting the growing interest and support from government and corporate investors willing to take long-term bets on tough tech innovations.

Goddard reflects on the broader implications of quantum security. By providing a fundamentally secure communication method, Qunnect isn’t just advancing technology but also safeguarding economic and national security in an increasingly digital world.

P.S. If you're in the Boston-Cambridge area this fall, check out JMill's Tough Tech On Tap, presented by The End Effector!

P.P.S. Thank you to our tough tech champions. We really appreciate your support. We have pay-if-you-can membership options so you can help us bring Tough Tech Today to more folks!

📺Watch on YouTube

🧠Relevant Links:

• Episode homepage
• Noel Goddard on LinkedIn
• Qunnect homepage

👏Credit Roll:

• Producers: Jonathan 'JMill' Miller and Forrest Meyen
• Guest: Noel Goddard
• Host: JMill
• Editing: JMill
• Transcript: JMill
• Blog Author: JMill
• Art Design: JMill

Melding quantum mechanics with artificial intelligence is going to change how we understand our world.

Several years ago, a small team was pursuing a deeper understanding of the quantum sciences while tracking advancements in machine intelligence. Combining two complex and misunderstood fields of study, Fernando Dominguez Pinuaga, Vice President, and his colleagues formed SandboxAQ, a growing juggernaut in materials discovery, cybersecurity, computational simulation, and so much more.

This episode is our first among several in which we examine the quantum sciences. Percolating in the burgeoning overlap between artificial intelligence and quantum mechanics, the potential areas of overlap can appear, to an outsider, to be disconnected or unfocused. However, as Fernando reveals in our conversation, there is a core upon which they are learning, building, and educating. With “the century of atoms” ahead, join us as we learn about security, navigation, and the science of discovery.

Where is the money in oceanographic research?

Fundamental understanding of the watery parts of our planet (i.e. most of it) is woefully under pursued. However, just as it seems some ocean systems are almost falling apart – coral bleaching, rising tides, species extinctions – we are beginning to see more attention paid to exploring the depths.

"There will be unicorns of the ocean, very successful companies which we call ‘narwhals’,” Adam de Sala Pool told us. A Special Advisor to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, de Sala Pool has seen a similar situation before: he was an early investor into what we now call climate tech. Commercial incentives can be incredibly useful when aligned with solving global challenges, and so, with growing anticipation, we may be on the cusp of having a new generation of ocean-oriented startups that could become billion dollar companies.

“This is not for the faint of heart but [ocean investments] will eventually be as successful as clean tech has been. [Oceans] cover 70% of the planet and… everything you can do on land you will be able to do in the ocean.” Near-shore commercial activities are in the works, with farther-out prospecting for how to extend humanity’s capabilities into the depths – while becoming ever more aware of how to preserve the health and integrity of our living seas.

P.S. Thank you to our episode sponsor, The End Effector! JMill will be decoding deep tech over there, so join the mailing list to get read-in. Also check out Tough Tech On Tap!

P.P.S. Thank you to our tough tech champions. We really appreciate your support! We have pay-if-you-can membership options so you can help us bring Tough Tech Today to more folks!

🧠Relevant Links:

• Episode homepage
• Watch on YouTube
• Adam de Sala Pool on LinkedIn
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI)

• Producers: Jonathan 'JMill' Miller and Forrest Meyen
• Guest: Adam de Sola Pool
• Hosts: JMill and Forrest Meyen
• Editing: JMill
• Transcript: JMill
• Blog Author: JMill
• Art Design: JMill. Background seabed graphic credit: Center for Environmental Visualization, University of Washington