Toward scalable fault-tolerant photonic quantum computers

Abstract In the pursuit of scalable and fault-tolerant quantum computing architectures, photonic-based systems have emerged as a leading frontier. This comprehensive review examines recent advances across key industry and academic players—including iPronics, Jiuzhang (USTC), ORCA Computing, Photonic Inc., PsiQuantum, Quandela, Quix Quantum, TundraSystems, TuringQ, and Xanadu—analyzing their photonic quantum processors, current performance benchmarks, architectural designs, quantum software ecosystems, and strategies toward developing large-scale fault-tolerant photonic quantum computers. The article highlights groundbreaking experiments that leverage the unique advantages of photonic technologies and underscoring their transformative potential in the NISQ and early fault‑tolerant regimes. With the global photonics market projected to reach USD 837.8 billion by 2025, this work captures photonic quantum computing’s pivotal moment in the early fault-tolerant era, offering forward‑looking insights into how photonic quantum computers may reshape the future of quantum technologies.