Quantum Communications Patents: Top Companies & Trends 2026
- Filings grew 54% from 2021 to 2024 (323 to 499) the last three-year span with complete publication data, confirming sustained investment rather than a one-off spike.
- The top 5 assignees hold 30.4% of all 1,201 of 3,950 records with a long tail of single-digit filers behind them — concentrated but not closed.
- H04L digital transmission touches 48.2% of records while narrower optical and nanotech classes like G02B and B82Y sit under 7%, marking where claim space is still open.
Filing growth compares 2021 (323 records) with 2024 (499) — a three-year span. 2024 is the most recent year we treat as complete: publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, so 2025 onwards are still filling in and any growth rate that ends there would understate the field. Top-5 share is the combined record count of the five largest assignees divided by all 3,950 records in scope (CR5), not by the ranked leaders only.
What the filing record shows
Quantum communications and networking patenting spans key distribution, error correction, qubit control and the transmission infrastructure that carries quantum signals over classical networks. The search scope used here combines quantum-specific terms with control and correction concepts, returning 3,950 published records filed between 2015 and the 2026 cut-off. Because publication trails filing by roughly eighteen months, the most recent one or two years in any trend understate real activity.
The record set is dominated by digital transmission and AI-adjacent computing classes, which suggests most quantum communications work today is being claimed as an extension of classical networking and computing infrastructure rather than as a standalone optical or hardware discipline. That has direct consequences for freedom-to-operate work: a search limited to obviously quantum-labelled classes will miss a large share of the relevant prior art.
Let an AI agent run this analysis on your own technology
Pick a task. Every answer cites the patents behind it.
Filing trend and technology composition
Two views of the same 3,950-record set: activity over time, and where records sit across IPC subclasses. Because a single record can carry several IPC codes, the class shares below add to more than 100% of the record total.
Growth is real, not a spike
Annual filings rose from 140 in 2017 to a peak of 694 in 2023, with the 2021-2024 span showing 54% growth (323 to 499). 2025 and 2026 figures are still filling in as publications catch up, so treat the apparent recent dip as a data-lag artefact rather than a slowdown.
Transmission and AI classes dominate
H04L (digital information transmission) appears in 48.2% of records and G06N (AI-based computing) in 36.1%, well ahead of narrower optical classes such as G02F (6.8%) and G02B (4.2%). That gap is the clearest signal of where claim density is light relative to the field's overall size.
Shares are the percentage of the 3,950 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Go deeper on Quantum Communications & Networking Patent Landscape with Eureka
This page is one run against one query. Ask Eureka your own question about quantum communications & networking patent landscape and every answer comes back with the patent numbers behind it.
Try EurekaRepresentative and most-cited filings
US11265157B2 — Quantum communication device, quantum communication system, and quantum communication method
A quantum communication device corrects sift key data derived from a quantum bit string received over a quantum communication path. It includes a determination unit that sets error-correction parameters from an estimated error rate and its margin, and a correction unit that generates corrected key data using those parameters.Filed by KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, published 2022-03-01.
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US9858531B1 | Fault tolerant scalable modular quantum computer architecture with an enhanced control of multi-mode coupling… | 348 |
| 2 | US20060262876A1 | Wave matrix mechanics method & apparatus | 233 |
| 3 | US20040109564A1 | High-rate quantum key distribution scheme relying on continuously phase and amplitude-modulated coherent ligh… | 231 |
| 4 | US20190049495A1 | Techniques for control of quantum systems and related systems and methods | 224 |
| 5 | US20250259085A1 | Convergent Intelligence Fabric for Multi-Domain Orchestration of Distributed Agents with Hierarchical Memory … | 209 |
| 6 | US5675648A | System and method for key distribution using quantum cryptography | 209 |
| 7 | US9077577B1 | System and method for communication using orbital angular momentum with multiple layer overlay modulation | 198 |
| 8 | US20150222619A1 | Multi-factor authentication using quantum communication | 186 |
| 9 | US20140068765A1 | Method and apparatus for authenticating user in multiparty quantum communications | 163 |
| 10 | US20130101121A1 | Secure multi-party communication with quantum key distribution managed by trusted authority | 161 |
Citation counts are drawn from the searched corpus and favour older filings; treat them as a measure of influence on later filers, not of current commercial importance.
Each row carries its publication number; clicking a row searches Eureka by that number.
Put your own technology through the same analysis
Eureka on the web
When you want the answer in the next five minutes.
The agent works the prompt against patents and technical literature, citing every source.
Run your analysis now →MCP server & REST API
When it has to run inside your own pipeline.
Patent search, landscape analysis and assignee resolution as MCP tools. Drop them into any agent framework, or call REST directly.
Browse MCP servers →What the numbers mean for strategy
Three patterns stand out once the filing counts, classes and citations are read together.
The top of the field is dense, the rest is open
The leader alone holds 489 records, and the top 5 combined account for 30.4% of all 3,950 records in scope. Below tenth place (58 records), the ranking thins into single- and low-double-digit filers, meaning most of the assignee list is a long tail rather than a second tier of comparable scale.
Investment is still building, not cooling
Filings rose from 323 in 2021 to 499 in 2024, the most recent span with complete publication data. The 2023 peak of 694 and the subsequent apparent decline in 2025-2026 reflect publication lag, not reduced filing activity.
Most filings are framed as network infrastructure
H04L and H04B together touch a majority of records, while G06N's 36.1% share shows how much quantum communications patenting overlaps with AI-based computing claims. Narrower physical-layer classes like G02F, B82Y and G02B sit in single digits, well below the size of the overall field.
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to quantum communications & networking patent landscape, with the prior art for and against each one.
Who is filing, and where the gaps sit
The assignee ranking covers 100 companies counted in records — the full list the data endpoint returns, not a curated top-50 or top-100. A handful of names anchor the field; recent-year momentum figures show even some of the largest historical filers pulling back sharply year-on-year, which is consistent with publication lag rather than exit.
One filer sets the pace
The leading assignee's 489 records put it well ahead of fifth place at 159, a gap wide enough that displacing the leader on volume alone is unrealistic for most new entrants.
The middle of the ranking is thin
Between fifth place (159) and tenth place (58) the count drops by more than half, showing the field narrows quickly outside the top few names rather than supporting a broad, evenly-matched second tier.
Cross-filing is limited and university-linked
Only 10 co-assignee pairs appear in the dataset, the strongest linking an ion-trap specialist with university research groups. This points to research collaborations feeding into joint filings more than to industrial joint ventures.
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| PsiQuantum Corp | 1 | -91% |
| IonQ Inc | 1 | -83% |
| LG Electronics Inc | 0 | -100% |
| Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba | 0 | -100% |
| ARQIT LTD | 0 | -100% |
| University of Maryland | 0 | — |
| Photonic Inc | 0 | -100% |
| NxGen Partners IP LLC | 0 | -100% |
Next steps for a working search
A landscape view is a starting point, not a substitute for a claim-by-claim review of the records that matter to a specific product or filing decision.
Run a freedom-to-operate check on the leader's portfolio
With 489 records concentrated in one assignee, any product touching key distribution or qubit control should be checked against that portfolio specifically, not just the field average.
Explore assignee portfolios in EurekaWatch the under-claimed optical classes
G02F, G02B and B82Y sit far below H04L and G06N in share of records, making them candidates for a first-mover claim rather than crowded prior art.
Search white space in EurekaTrack 2025-2026 filings as they publish
Because publication lags filing by about 18 months, the true 2025 and 2026 filing volumes will only become visible over the next two years — revisit the trend rather than treating the current dip as final.
Set a filing alert in EurekaCommon questions on quantum communications patents
The leading assignee in this dataset holds 489 of the 3,950 records in scope, well ahead of the fifth-place assignee at 159. The top 5 assignees combined account for 30.4% of all records, showing meaningful concentration at the top even though the ranking includes 100 companies. Below the top ten, filing counts drop quickly into a long tail of smaller filers, so the field is not a two-horse race but it is also not evenly distributed.
Yes, based on the last span with complete publication data: filings rose from 323 in 2021 to 499 in 2024, a 54% increase. The apparent decline in 2025 and 2026 in raw filing counts is a publication-lag artefact, since patent applications typically take about 18 months to publish. A peak of 694 filings occurred in 2023, and the underlying trend since 2017 has been upward overall.
The largest IPC subclass is H04L, digital information transmission, present in 48.2% of the 3,950 records, followed by G06N (AI-based computing) at 36.1% and H04B (general transmission) at 28.3%. Narrower classes tied to the physical optical and hardware layer, such as G02F, B82Y and G02B, each appear in under 7% of records. Because records often carry multiple IPC codes, these shares overlap rather than summing to 100%.
The clearest under-claimed areas by filing density are the physical-layer optical and nanotechnology classes: G02F (optical control and modulation), G02B (optical elements and systems) and B82Y (nanotechnology applications) each sit under 7% of the 3,950 records, compared with roughly half the field touching H04L. Wireless-network integration (H04W, 12.9%) is another area with room relative to the field's overall size. These lower shares indicate lighter claim density, not necessarily lower commercial relevance.
US11265157B2, assigned to Toshiba and published 2022-03-01, claims a quantum communication device that determines error-correction settings from an estimated error rate and margin on sift key data, then generates corrected key data with those settings. Anyone implementing adaptive error correction on a quantum key distribution link should review its specific claim language before finalizing a correction-parameter design. It is one representative filing among several highly-cited records in this space, so it should be read alongside the broader most-cited list rather than in isolation.
Research Quantum Communications & Networking Patent Landscape in depth with Eureka
Go past this page: query the whole quantum communications & networking patent landscape corpus yourself, in your own scope.
Every answer comes back with patent numbers you can open.
Disclaimer. This page is generated from Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. Patsnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.
Machine translation. Assignee and organisation names originally recorded in Chinese, Japanese or Korean have been rendered into English by an AI translation step so that the tables stay readable. These renderings are best-effort and may not match a company’s registered English name; the original name is what the underlying patent record carries, and it is what any Eureka query launched from this page uses.