A CV-QKD transceiver in a standard QSFP-28 pluggable runs alongside Coherent 200G FR4 optics tested over an NVIDIA DGX Spark host system via its ConnectX-7 interface, with no changes to the existing network
EINDHOVEN, Netherlands and MÁLAGA, Spain, Sept. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CUbIQ Technologies, a Dutch pioneer in quantum-safe communications for AI infrastructure, and Coherent Corp. (NYSE: COHR), the global photonics leader, today announced a successful proof-of-concept (POC) quantum key distribution (QKD) demonstrator. The demonstration marks a major milestone in the evolution towards deployment of physical-layer security that seamlessly integrates with existing AI infrastructure and will be shown at ECOC 2026 in Málaga.
The back-end network is becoming a security problem
As AI clusters outgrow single buildings, the back-end fabric that connects servers increasingly runs over optical fiber between campuses and sites. That fiber carries the model weights, gradients and training data that represent much of an operator's investment, and it can be tapped. Line-rate encryption protects the traffic, but its keys are exchanged by methods that give no indication that a link has been intercepted.
CUbIQ's pluggable solution closes that gap by deriving keys from the quantum properties of the optical signal itself. An interception attempt leaves a measurable fingerprint on the link, so compromised keys are detected and discarded before use. Until now this level of protection has meant dedicated rack-mounted equipment with its own space, power and management plane, hard to accommodate in a dense AI deployment.
What is demonstrated
The POC features CUbIQ's Continuous Variable Quantum Key Distribution (CV-QKD) transceiver in a QSFP-28 pluggable form factor, an innovation that integrates QKD over DWDM seamlessly into existing network infrastructure, following a zero-trust framework. CUbIQ's compact module enables scalable, secured connections demonstrating physical-layer security, leveraging Coherent Corp's high-performance 200G FR4 OSFP56 pluggable optical transceivers. The link is tested with a commercially available NVIDIA DGX Spark system via its ConnectX-7 interface, requiring no modification to the existing deployment.
Because the module occupies the same port as the conventional optics already in use, it carries none of the overhead of dedicated hardware: compared with conventional rack-based QKD systems, CUbIQ's pluggable approach reduces power consumption, cost and footprint by a factor of 100.
"CUbIQ's mission is to show practical, accessible physical layer security that can extend across AI infrastructure," said Aaron Albores Mejia, CEO of CUbIQ Technologies. "This work with Coherent Corp. proves that quantum-safe networking can be demonstrated on the AI infrastructure that operators are already deploying."
Seeing it at ECOC 2026
As datacenters scale up, out and across, this proof of concept shows how encrypted, quantum-safe communications can extend across AI infrastructure, and is designed to require no changes to existing deployments. Together, CUbIQ and Coherent are laying the foundation for scalable, physical-layer security that protects the next generation of AI factories against security threats. CUbIQ and Coherent are also working towards a next generation of secure, high-capacity optical pluggable transceivers.
CUbIQ is hosting the demonstrator at ECOC 2026 in Málaga, Spain, from 21 to 23 September 2026, at Booth 1051, Dutch Pavilion, ECOC Exhibition Centre, FYCMA. Appointments can be booked through the media contacts below.
About CUbIQ Technologies
CUbIQ Technologies, headquartered in Eindhoven, is a Dutch startup developing solutions for physical-layer security for AI infrastructure. Through its products, such as next-generation QKD transceiver modules, CUbIQ demonstrates a reduction in power consumption, cost and footprint by a factor of 100 compared with conventional rack-based QKD systems. CUbIQ's pluggable solutions enable quantum-safe technologies at scale. To learn more visit us at http://www.cubiq-technologies.com
About Coherent Corp.
Coherent Corp. (NYSE: COHR) is the global photonics leader. We harness photons to drive innovation. Industry leaders in the datacenter, communications, and industrial markets rely on Coherent Corp's world-leading technology to fuel their own innovation and growth. For more information, please visit us at https://www.coherent.com
Media contacts
CUbIQ Technologies: info@cubiq-technologies.com
Coherent Corp.: innovations@coherent.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b93dbfa7-d886-4e70-be73-187f5a2d3ca4
