PsiQuantum announced an 8×8 optical circuit switch (OCS) demonstration vehicle on October 28, 2026, aimed at data-center networking. The company reported typical insertion loss of 1.2 dB, crosstalk of 40 dB, and reconfiguration in under 3 milliseconds in laboratory tests (PsiQuantum’s announcement).
What the 8×8 switch does
An 8×8 configuration has eight inputs and eight outputs. An optical circuit switch creates a path for light between fiber ports and keeps that connection until it is changed. Conventional packet switches convert optical signals to electrical signals and back at each hop; PsiQuantum’s OCS is intended to work alongside them.
Tom’s Hardware reported that PsiQuantum described the 8×8 design as strictly non-blocking: each input can connect to each output without disrupting connections already in place. CEO Victor Peng linked the opportunity to PsiQuantum’s work on scaling challenges for utility-scale quantum computing.
What PsiQuantum’s lab figures mean
Insertion loss measures the signal lost as light passes through a switch. PsiQuantum reported 1.2 dB as the typical result. Tom’s Hardware described that measurement as fiber-to-fiber: it includes coupling light onto and off the chip, but excludes connector losses.
The other reported figures were 40 dB of crosstalk, or signal leakage between channels, and less than 3 ms to reconfigure the optical path. PsiQuantum said the results were achieved without optical amplification. These are the company’s laboratory measurements.
What was reported about larger devices
Tom’s Hardware reported on October 30, 2026, that a 64×64 version had been taped out and work on a 72×72 version was underway. In its October 28 announcement, PsiQuantum called the 8×8 a demonstration vehicle, said samples were being shared with selected prospective customers, and said it planned to announce commercial products in the coming months.
