The quantum computing industry is in the NISQ era — Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum — a phase characterized by systems with tens to hundreds of qubits that are capable of useful computations but not yet fully fault-tolerant. For fiber optic engineers and suppliers, this era presents both significant opportunity and demanding technical requirements.
NISQ-era quantum systems are intensely engineering-focused. Hardware teams are iterating rapidly on qubit architectures, control systems, and interconnects. Every component — including optical fiber assemblies — is evaluated for its contribution to system performance, noise, and scalability.
This environment rewards suppliers who can engage early in the design process, iterate quickly, and deliver assemblies that meet precise specifications consistently. It is not an environment for catalog-only fiber suppliers.
Scaling optical interconnects: As qubit counts grow, the number of optical connections entering cryogenic systems grows with them. Engineers are actively designing fiber routing and feedthrough architectures that can accommodate tens or hundreds of optical channels without compromising the thermal budget or physical footprint of the cryostat.
Photon loss at scale: In photonic quantum systems, loss at each optical element compounds with scale. A system with 100 optical connections, each with even modest insertion loss, may accumulate enough total loss to make certain computations infeasible. Ultra-low-loss fiber assemblies are not optional at scale.
Photonic-classical interface: Quantum systems must communicate with classical control electronics. The photonic-to-electrical interface — where optical signals are converted to and from electrical signals — requires precision optical components including PM fiber assemblies, high-power fibers, and custom optical architectures that can handle the required signal fidelity.
One of the less-discussed challenges of the NISQ era is the thinness of the specialized supplier base. Commercial fiber optic manufacturers serve telecommunications markets; the highly custom, low-volume, high-precision assemblies needed for quantum hardware are outside their core business.
This creates both a challenge and an opportunity for quantum hardware developers: finding suppliers who can engage technically, iterate on custom designs, and scale from prototype to production as quantum programs mature.
Impact ES–Ventura, formerly Coastal Connections, has positioned itself specifically for this role. We currently work with multiple companies among the world's leading quantum computing developers, and our engineering team is experienced in the technical language and requirements of quantum hardware programs.
As the NISQ era matures into fault-tolerant quantum computing, the demands on photonic interconnects will only increase. Error correction requires more qubits — and more optical connections. Quantum networking requires long-distance fiber links with entanglement-grade optical performance. Photonic quantum processors require scalable, manufacturable fiber architectures.
The suppliers who are building relationships and expertise in quantum photonics today will be best positioned to support the next generation of quantum systems.
Coastal Connections is already inside leading quantum programs. Let's talk about yours.
