The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) awarded grants to small businesses to develop hardware for quantum cryptography and communications. While no specific industry standard was announced, this funding supports research that could lead to future security protocols and communication technologies. Two companies received support for quantum-related work: one is creating specialized detectors for secure data, and another is developing single-photon sources for advanced quantum networks.
The awards represent a mix of research phases, with some companies receiving initial funding to test feasibility and others getting larger grants to continue development. This program is designed to help American companies compete globally, with the SBIR initiative scheduled to run through September 2017. Successful research will eventually move to commercial production, potentially impacting how secure data and quantum systems are built in the future.
Keywords: SBIR grants, single photon source, Geiger photodiode
