Quantum Cookeville-Crossville
Establishing a Regional Testbed for Entanglement-Based Quantum Communications
Tennessee Tech University is developing a regional quantum communications testbed connecting Cookeville and Crossville, Tennessee, through a $2.1 million federal investment from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
The project will establish specialized infrastructure for generating, distributing and measuring entangled photons across geographically separated locations. By moving quantum networking experiments beyond a single laboratory environment, the testbed is designed to help researchers evaluate the performance, stability and reliability of emerging quantum communication technologies under real-world conditions.
Dr. Muhammad Ismail
Principal Investigator
Director, Cybersecurity Education, Research and Outreach Center (CEROC)
Department of Computer Science
Dr. Anthony Skjellum
Co-Principal Investigator
Director, Advanced Scalable Computing, Extreme Networks and Data (ASCEND)
Department of Computer Science
The two-year project builds on Tennessee Tech's expertise in quantum networking, secure communications, advanced computing and networked systems, creating a foundation for future research, technical collaboration and student learning.
Advancing Quantum Networking Beyond the Laboratory
Quantum networks use principles of quantum mechanics to transmit and distribute quantum information. One of their foundational technologies is quantum entanglement, in which particles share quantum correlations that can be measured even when they are separated by distance.
Developing reliable quantum networks requires more than demonstrating entanglement in a controlled laboratory setting. Researchers must also understand how quantum signals behave across longer distances and under changing environmental and operating conditions.
The Quantum Cookeville–Crossville testbed is designed to address these challenges by establishing quantum networking nodes at geographically separated locations. Its regional configuration will provide opportunities to investigate the practical requirements of entanglement distribution, network synchronization, signal stability and quantum-classical network coordination.
The resulting infrastructure will support experimental evaluation of technologies and approaches needed for future quantum communication networks.
Technical Capabilities
The project will acquire, integrate and commission specialized quantum networking equipment and supporting systems.
Planned capabilities include:
- Entangled-photon generation and detection: Equipment to produce, distribute and detect entangled photons across the network.
- Polarization stabilization: Technologies to maintain the quality of quantum signals as conditions change along optical connections.
- Precision timing and synchronization: Systems designed to coordinate quantum networking operations across geographically separated nodes.
- Quantum network measurement and validation: Instrumentation to evaluate entanglement fidelity, distribution performance, system stability and other technical characteristics.
- Classical network control and monitoring: Supporting systems for coordinating experiments, monitoring equipment and managing network operations.
The testbed will be designed to support repeatable experiments, performance evaluation and future research activities involving interconnected quantum systems.
Research and Educational Applications
Once commissioned, the testbed is intended to provide a research platform for investigating quantum communication technologies and their potential applications.
The infrastructure will support studies of entanglement distribution, quantum network performance, timing and synchronization, and the interaction of quantum and classical communication systems.
It will also create opportunities for graduate and advanced undergraduate students to gain experience with specialized quantum networking equipment, experimental methods and network measurement techniques.
By connecting research infrastructure with faculty expertise and student engagement, Tennessee Tech aims to strengthen its capacity for interdisciplinary research and education in quantum information science and engineering.
Building on Tennessee Tech's Research Strengths
Quantum Cookeville–Crossville brings together complementary expertise within Tennessee Tech's College of Engineering.
The university's Cybersecurity Education, Research and Outreach Center (CEROC), directed by Dr. Muhammad Ismail, contributes research expertise in quantum networking, entanglement distribution and routing, quantum cryptography and secure communications.
The Advanced Scalable Computing, Extreme Networks and Data (ASCEND) center, directed by Dr. Anthony Skjellum, contributes expertise in high-performance computing, advanced networking, scalable systems and quantum information science.
The project represents an important addition to Tennessee Tech's research infrastructure, complementing existing capabilities in advanced computing and cybersecurity while expanding opportunities for experimental quantum networking.
Project Development
The project began in October 2026 and will proceed through technical planning, equipment procurement, system integration, deployment and commissioning.
The initial phase will focus on establishing technical requirements and procuring the specialized equipment needed for the testbed. Subsequent phases will involve installation, integration, performance testing and operational validation.
The project is scheduled to conclude in September 2028.