Stony Brook University’s Patented Quantum Memory Technology Makes TIME’s Best Inventions List

Qu-MEM, developed by Qunnect, a Stony Brook faculty and alumni startup, is the world's first commercial room-temperature quantum memory, helping pave the way for a scalable quantum internet and more secure communications

A quantum technology invented at Stony Brook University is earning international recognition.

Qunnect's Qu-MEM, a commercial room-temperature quantum memory device developed from Stony Brook-patented technology, has been named to TIME'sBest Inventions of 2026 in the Experimental category for concept inventions and prototypes showing future potential.

The TIME competition recognizes inventions making the world better, smarter and more impactful. This recognition highlights Stony Brook's role in advancing quantum technology and demonstrates how university research can move beyond the laboratory to help shape emerging industries.

Qunnet's Qu-MEM grew out of research led by Stony Brook Professor Eden Figueroa, Endowed Presidential Professor of Physics, director of the Stony Brook University Quantum Institute and a joint appointee at Brookhaven National Laboratory, alongside alumni Mehdi Namazi, PhD '18, and Mael Flament, MS '19. Figueroa co-founded Qunnect with Namazi and Flament, who now serve as the company's chief science officer and chief technology officer, respectively.

Qu-MEM is the world's first commercial room-temperature quantum memory device, currently expanding Stony Brook's SCY-QNET, America's largest quantum internet. It is an on-demand, warm-vapor, neutral-atom quantum memory that sits in a standard server rack. It is designed to work with existing fiber-optic infrastructure, helping address a key challenge in building scalable quantum networks.

The patented technology is based on research at Stony Brook University and licensed to Qunnect, creating a direct link between the university's scientific discoveries and commercial innovation with global potential.

"Stony Brook University is proud to celebrate Qunnect's recognition by TIME for creating one of the year's best inventions: Qu-MEM, a market-first quantum memory invention. Qunnect's pioneering technology originated in the basement of our physics building by our visionary faculty member Eden Figueroa and his then-graduate students Mehdi Namazi and Mael Flament," said Stony Brook University President Andrea Goldsmith. "The remarkable breakthrough of this quantum memory design enables it to store quantum data at room temperatures, which was thought to be impossible until Qunnect proved otherwise. This quantum memory is an essential component in Stony Brook's fiber and wireless quantum network, which is the largest metropolitan area quantum network in the world communicating quantum information via entangled photons. This quantum network, which we plan to grow first to upstate New York and then throughout the country, is capable of protecting sensitive data in critical sectors including healthcare, finance and national defense."

"Qunnect's technology is one shining example of how Stony Brook's brilliant researchers are creating pathways for discoveries to move beyond the lab and into the marketplace, powering a vibrant ecosystem in academia, research and industry," Goldsmith added. "From ideas sparked in our labs, to the testing and maturing of this technology, to building it into a real-world network with remarkable capabilities, this achievement is a testament to our university's leadership and commitment to being one of the nation's most impactful research institutions that further drives possibility and progress for the world."

"This recognition by TIME as an Invention of the Year celebrates a breakthrough that is pushing the frontiers of quantum technology and has been instrumental in shaping Stony Brook University's quantum strategy and the vision for our Quantum Hub," said Mónica Bugallo, Stony Brook University interim vice president for research and innovation and acting chief information officer. "The collaboration among our pioneering faculty, talented alumni, Qunnect, and our Intellectual Property Partners team demonstrates how research, entrepreneurship, and university and industry partnerships can turn groundbreaking discoveries into technologies with the potential to transform the future of quantum communications and drive innovation and economic growth."

Quantum networks use properties such as photon entanglement to connect quantum devices and transmit information in ways that could enable new approaches to secure communications. By helping quantum signals work across fiber-optic networks, technologies such as Qu-MEM could contribute to the development of a future quantum internet.

"Early on, a lot of people doubted that a state university could pull off a breakthrough like this. But seeing our work featured in TIME alongside tech giants proves what's possible. Quantum memory is what turns theoretical concepts like 'spooky action at a distance' into practical, long-distance technology," said Figueroa. "Overcoming our resource challenges to get here is a true testament to the exceptional talent and determination of our students. We built this from the ground up."

"Qunnect's quantum memory is the result of more than 10 years of unglamorous lab work at Stony Brook University and eventually our own Qunnect facilities that we believe will change the world," Namazi said. "It required different engineers with a variety of expertise to come together, making the university the perfect place for technology to emerge. There was no single 'AH-HA' moment in creating the world's first commercial quantum memory. But now, Qunnect's Qu-Mem is a cornerstone of our quantum networking product suite, now deployed on industry and government testbeds across the US, Canada, and Europe."

"Turning a lab discovery into reliable technology takes a team that understands both the physics and the engineering. Qunnect's quantum memories store and retrieve quantum information, making them a critical building block for quantum repeaters and the quantum networks that scale," said Flament. "The work we started in a basement at Stony Brook University has grown into a company building deployable quantum networking infrastructure. We are putting these technologies in our customers' hands so they can connect quantum computers, protect critical communications, and develop new capabilities."

Today, Qu-MEM systems are being deployed on quantum networking testbeds across New York City, Long Island and Europe.

The impact of this technology is also already visible through its integration with the New York State Quantum Internet Testbed, which includes Brookhaven National Laboratory, public colleges throughout the SUNY system, and private universities including Yale and Columbia. Supported by more than $300 million in combined New York state and National Science Foundation investments, this growing network represents the largest quantum network in the United States and signals the potential for a scaled and virtually unhackable internet that reduces national data storage needs.

"The State University of New York at Stony Brook has emerged as a global leader in quantum technology and research through the strong investment by Governor Hochul, state leaders, and SUNY, and thanks to world-class researchers, faculty, and students who are moving this field forward," said SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. "I applaud the State University of New York at Stony Brook on this well-earned recognition, which reinforces that investments made in SUNY research help move our state and society forward."

As a member of the Association of American Universities, Stony Brook is recognized for research and innovation across scientific disciplines. The development of Qu-MEM offers a powerful example of how discoveries made on campus - and the talent of the students who help drive them - can contribute to technological progress far beyond the University.

For more than 25 years, TIME Best Inventions has recognized innovations across science, technology and other fields that are shaping the future. Qu-MEM's inclusion brings national attention to a technology rooted in Stony Brook research and to the university community working to move quantum networking from possibility to reality.