In-orbit operation of a programmable quantum photonic processor

Abstract

Quantum technologies promise computational capabilities beyond the reach of classical systems. A forward-looking application lies in satellite missions, which increasingly depend on onboard computing under stringent constraints on size, weight and power. Quantum photonics is particularly attractive here: photon interference can enhance the machine-learning models needed to process large onboard data volumes, at fixed hardware resources. However, harnessing this interference requires more than generating single photons, as they must remain mutually indistinguishable: a fragile condition that is hard to maintain within the technically demanding framework of a space mission, which includes a rocket launch, strong thermal drifts, and radiation. This is why quantum states of light, though already generated and transmitted in orbit for secure communication and fundamental tests, have never been used as a computational resource. Here, we report a programmable quantum photonic platform operating on a nanosatellite, processing two photons in a six-mode universal integrated circuit. By programming distinct unitaries and tuning the photons into indistinguishability, we observe two-photon interference, establishing the on-board generation, manipulation and detection of non-classical light. This extends space-based technologies towards in-orbit quantum-assisted computing, for instance local encoding of Earth-observation data, or nodes in a distributed quantum network.

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Cite

BibTeX RIS

BibTeX

@misc{steiner2026inorbit,
  title = {{In-orbit operation of a programmable quantum photonic processor}},
  author = {Simon Steiner and Peter Schiansky and Antonius Scherer and Riccardo Albiero and Mathias Dragosits and Zhenghao Yin and Martin Mauser and Patrik Zahálka and Raphael Pimenta and Cristóbal Melo and Cédric Léonard and Abhiram Rajan and Niki Di Giano and Antonino Caime and Roberto Osellame and Francesco Ceccarelli and Daniel Martínez and Tobias Guggemos and Iris Agresti and Philip Walther},
  howpublished = {arXiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.25248},
  eprint = {2609.25248},
  archivePrefix = {arXiv},
  url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.25248},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}

RIS

TY  - UNPB
TI  - In-orbit operation of a programmable quantum photonic processor
AU  - Simon Steiner
AU  - Peter Schiansky
AU  - Antonius Scherer
AU  - Riccardo Albiero
AU  - Mathias Dragosits
AU  - Zhenghao Yin
AU  - Martin Mauser
AU  - Patrik Zahálka
AU  - Raphael Pimenta
AU  - Cristóbal Melo
AU  - Cédric Léonard
AU  - Abhiram Rajan
AU  - Niki Di Giano
AU  - Antonino Caime
AU  - Roberto Osellame
AU  - Francesco Ceccarelli
AU  - Daniel Martínez
AU  - Tobias Guggemos
AU  - Iris Agresti
AU  - Philip Walther
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/21
PB  - arXiv
DO  - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.25248
UR  - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.25248
AB  - Quantum technologies promise computational capabilities beyond the reach of classical systems. A forward-looking application lies in satellite missions, which increasingly depend on onboard computing under stringent constraints on size, weight and power. Quantum photonics is particularly attractive here: photon interference can enhance the machine-learning models needed to process large onboard data volumes, at fixed hardware resources. However, harnessing this interference requires more than generating single photons, as they must remain mutually indistinguishable: a fragile condition that is hard to maintain within the technically demanding framework of a space mission, which includes a rocket launch, strong thermal drifts, and radiation. This is why quantum states of light, though already generated and transmitted in orbit for secure communication and fundamental tests, have never been used as a computational resource. Here, we report a programmable quantum photonic platform operating on a nanosatellite, processing two photons in a six-mode universal integrated circuit. By programming distinct unitaries and tuning the photons into indistinguishability, we observe two-photon interference, establishing the on-board generation, manipulation and detection of non-classical light. This extends space-based technologies towards in-orbit quantum-assisted computing, for instance local encoding of Earth-observation data, or nodes in a distributed quantum network.
ER  -

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