UCF Researchers Crack Scalable Quantum Entanglement

Breakthrough could enable more robust and complex quantum computing and sensing

Mar. 27, 2026 at 5:12am

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Researchers at the University of Central Florida's CREOL College of Optics and Photonics have developed a new method to generate highly complex, entangled states of light that are resilient to imperfections. This breakthrough in scalable quantum entanglement could be a major step forward in realizing the full potential of quantum computing and sensing.

Why it matters

Quantum computing and sensing hold immense promise, but require the ability to reliably generate and maintain complex, entangled quantum states. This new technique from UCF researchers overcomes a key hurdle, demonstrating a scalable approach to creating robust, high-dimensional entanglement that could unlock new frontiers in quantum technologies.

The details

The UCF team, led by Professor Andrea Blanco-Redondo, leveraged the unique properties of topological photonic modes to entangle multiple quantum states in a scalable way. By arranging silicon photonic waveguides in a specific configuration, they were able to support the co-existence of many protected topological modes, enabling the generation of highly complex entangled states of light. This approach maintains the robustness and stability of the entanglement, even as the complexity is increased.

  • The study on "High-dimensional Topological Photonic Entanglement" was published in the journal Science on March 27, 2026.
  • The breakthrough builds on the QSP group's previous work featured in Nature Materials in 2025, demonstrating precise control over the dissipation of light states.

The players

Andrea Blanco-Redondo

The Florida Photonics Center of Excellence Endowed Professor of Optics and Photonics at CREOL, the College of Optics and Photonics at the University of Central Florida. She leads the Quantum Silicon Photonics (QSP) research group.

Javad Zakery

A doctoral student at CREOL who co-authored the study.

Armando Perez-Leija

A former research scientist at CREOL who is now at Saint Louis University, and co-authored the study.

CREOL

The College of Optics and Photonics at the University of Central Florida, home to the QSP research group.

Florida Alliance for Quantum Technology (FAQT)

A consortium that CREOL is part of, focused on making Florida a leading hub for quantum technology.

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What they’re saying

“To produce truly useful quantum computers, we need complex, entangled states of light that are robust to imperfections.”

— Andrea Blanco-Redondo, Professor

“We have figured out a way to entangle the topological protected modes of superlattices.”

— Andrea Blanco-Redondo, Professor

“We can do it in a way that doesn't increase the complexity of the system. We have figured out a way to displace the waveguides in a configuration which supports many co-localized protected modes instead of just one.”

— Andrea Blanco-Redondo, Professor

What’s next

The breakthrough could help accelerate the Florida Alliance for Quantum Technology's (FAQT) industry outreach efforts to establish Florida as a leading hub for quantum technology. CREOL is also building momentum through its Quantum Leap Initiative, which aims to develop shared facilities and enable collaborative research in quantum optical science and applications.

The takeaway

This scalable method for generating robust, high-dimensional quantum entanglement represents a significant advancement that could unlock new possibilities in quantum computing, sensing, and other transformative quantum technologies. By overcoming a key challenge in the field, UCF researchers have taken an important step towards realizing the full potential of quantum information science.