NIST Develops Chip for Reliable Single Photon Production

New technology could improve efficiency and security of quantum key distribution

Published on Mar. 1, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a chip that can reliably emit a single photon on demand, a breakthrough that could significantly improve the efficiency and security of quantum key distribution (QKD) as the world prepares for the arrival of quantum computers.

Why it matters

Quantum computers pose a major threat to current encryption methods, as they could use Shor's algorithm to rapidly break public-key cryptography. NIST's development of a chip that can produce single photons on demand is a critical step towards implementing QKD, which uses the quantum properties of photons to distribute encryption keys in a provably secure way. This technology could make QKD more practical and accessible for a wider range of organizations that require robust data protection.

The details

NIST's new chip uses 'quantum dots' that emit a single photon when hit by a carefully shaped laser pulse. This is more efficient than current methods that use faint lasers with filters, which tend to produce random multi-photon or zero-photon events. The chip's ability to reliably generate single photons on demand will enable QKD systems to transmit encryption keys more securely over longer distances, as any attempt to intercept the photons would disrupt the quantum state and alert the receiver. NIST has also separately developed superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors that can reliably receive the single photons over spans of up to 600 miles.

  • NIST announced the development of the single photon-emitting chip in February 2026.
  • The chip could be in mass production by the end of 2027, as NIST typically develops standards that are rapidly adopted by industry.

The players

NIST

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, a non-regulatory federal agency that develops measurement standards and advances technology to enhance economic security and quality of life.

John Bruggeman

Consulting CISO at CBTS, who provided commentary on the implications of NIST's single photon chip for quantum key distribution.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“If somebody tries to observe that photon as it passes along the length of fiber, that observation will break the quantum state of the photon, and the receiver will go, 'Oops, that key is compromised. I can't use it. Send me another one.'”

— John Bruggeman, Consulting CISO (SecurityWeek)

“The big advance from NIST is they are able to provide single photons at a time, as opposed to sending multiple photons. Single photons aren't new, but in the past, they've usually been photons in a stream of photons. So, they encode the key information on those strings, and that leads to replication. And in cryptography, you don't want to have replication of data.”

— John Bruggeman, Consulting CISO (SecurityWeek)

What’s next

NIST's single photon chip could be in mass production by the end of 2027, making quantum key distribution a more practical and accessible option for a wider range of organizations that require robust data protection.

The takeaway

NIST's development of a chip that can reliably produce single photons on demand is a critical breakthrough that could significantly improve the efficiency and security of quantum key distribution, a provably secure method of encryption that will be essential as quantum computers become a reality and threaten current cryptographic methods.