How Is Quantum Computing Positioning Itself as a Leader in the TFLN Field?

According to a report by Quantum Computing Inc. QUBT or QCi, thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) is rapidly emerging as a preferred material in the telecommunications industry. Known for its resilience and high efficiency, TFLN has proven ideal for chip-scale photonic integration. QCi is among the few companies that have successfully developed processes to make TFLN adaptable for advanced wafer-level manufacturing. 

QCi has recently been awarded a contract by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”) for the design and fabrication of TFLN photonic integrated circuits (PICs). This marks QCi’s first direct government contract for its TFLN foundry services and represents an important milestone in its goal to become a trusted U.S.-based supplier of advanced photonic technologies. The project includes design support and fabrication of TFLN-based PICs, with performance requirements centered on low optical-loss waveguides, high-performance modulators and narrow-band filters.

Additionally, TFLN holds strong potential to become the material of choice for high-speed communications and a key enabler of a new era in computing. In line with this, QCi and POET Technologies Inc. POET recently formed a strategic collaboration to develop 400G/Lane TFLN modulator-based 3.2Tbps engines for next-generation computing. 

Under this partnership, QCi will integrate its high-performance TFLN modulators with POET’s Optical Interposer platform to deliver ultra-fast data transfer speeds, addressing the growing demands of AI networks and data center hyper scalers. The 400G/Lane modulator is designed to double the speed of the fastest networking devices currently available, with POET funding the project and completion targeted for the second half of 2026.

Peer Updates

Lumentum Holdings Inc. LITE has developed 400 Gbps-per-lane laser technology, enabling transmission lanes to carry up to 400 gigabits of data per second, paving the way for 3.2-terabit optical transceivers. This represents the next generation of ultra-fast data links. The company’s 450 Gbps distributed feedback laser integrated with a Mach–Zehnder modulator reduces signal distortion and power loss for long-distance transmission. It also introduced 200 Gbps-per-lane technology, doubling the speed of current 100 Gbps systems to help AI data centers handle expanding workloads. 

Additionally, Lumentum is advancing ultra-high-power lasers for co-packaged optics to enhance space efficiency and reduce energy use. These lasers are integrated into NVIDIA’s Spectrum-X and Quantum-X networking switches. 

QUBT’s Price Performance

Over the past year, QCi’s shares have gained 318.8%, outperforming the industry’s 10.8% growth. The S&P 500 composite has grown 16.8% in the same period.

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Expensive Valuation

QUBT currently trades at a forward 12-month Price-to-Sales (P/S) of 1978.60X compared with the industry average of 5.61X.

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QUBT Stock Estimate Trend

In the past 30 days, its loss per share estimate for 2025 has remained unchanged at 25 cents.

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QUBT stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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