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arXiv:2303.03234 · Quantum Science and Technology

Requirements for upgrading trusted nodes to a repeater chain over 900 km of optical fiber

Francisco Ferreira da Silva, Guus Avis, Joshua A. Slater, Stephanie Wehner

Published Aug 28, 2024• 9 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Abstract We perform a numerical study of the distribution of entanglement on a real-world fiber grid connecting the German cities of Bonn and Berlin. The connection is realized using a chain of processing-node quantum repeaters spanning roughly 900 kilometers. Their placement is constrained by the fiber grid we consider, resulting in asymmetric links. We investigate how minimal hardware requirements depend on the target application, as well as on the number of repeaters in the chain. We find that requirements for blind quantum computing are markedly different than those for quantum key distribution, with the required coherence time being around two and a half times larger for the former. Further, we observe a trade-off regarding how target secret-key rates are achieved when using different numbers of repeaters: comparatively low-quality entangled states generated at a high rate are preferred for higher numbers of repeaters, whereas comparatively high-quality states generated at a lower rate are favored for lower numbers of repeaters. To obtain our results we employ an extensive simulation framework implemented using NetSquid, a discrete-event simulator for quantum networks. These are combined with an optimization methodology based on genetic algorithms to determine minimal hardware requirements.

DOI
10.1088/2058-9565/ad7499

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Abstract We perform a numerical study of the distribution of entanglement on a real-world fiber grid connecting the German cities of Bonn and Berlin. The connection is realized using a chain of processing-node quantum repeaters spanning roughly 900 kilometers. Their placement is constrained by the fiber grid we consider, resulting in asymmetric links. We investigate how minimal hardware requirements depend on the target application, as well as on the number of repeaters in the chain. We find that requirements for blind quantum computing are markedly different than those for quantum key distribution, with the required coherence time being around two and a half times larger for the former. Further, we observe a trade-off regarding how target secret-key rates are achieved when using different numbers of repeaters: comparatively low-quality entangled states generated at a high rate are preferred for higher numbers of repeaters, whereas comparatively high-quality states generated at a lower rate are favored for lower numbers of repeaters. To obtain our results we employ an extensive simulation framework implemented using NetSquid, a discrete-event simulator for quantum networks. These are combined with an optimization methodology based on genetic algorithms to determine minimal hardware requirements.
Abstract We numerically study the distribution of entanglement between the Dutch cities of Delft and Eindhoven realized with a processing-node quantum repeater and determine minimal hardware requirements for verifiable blind quantum computation using color centers and trapped ions. Our results are obtained considering restrictions imposed by a real-world fiber grid and using detailed hardware-specific models. By comparing our results to those we would obtain in idealized settings, we show that simplifications lead to a distorted picture of hardware demands, particularly on memory coherence and photon collection. We develop general machinery suitable for studying arbitrary processing-node repeater chains using NetSquid, a discrete-event simulator for quantum networks. This enables us to include time-dependent noise models and simulate repeater protocols with cut-offs, including the required classical control communication. We find minimal hardware requirements by solving an optimization problem using genetic algorithms on a high-performance-computing cluster. Our work provides guidance for further experimental progress, and showcases limitations of studying quantum-repeater requirements in idealized situations.
Abstract We conduct a numerical investigation of fiber-based entanglement distribution over distances of up to 1600 km using a chain of processing-node quantum repeaters. We determine minimal hardware requirements while simultaneously optimizing over protocols for entanglement generation and entanglement purification, as well as over strategies for entanglement swapping. Notably, we discover that through an adequate choice of protocols the hardware improvement cost scales linearly with the distance covered. Our results highlight the crucial role of good protocol choices in significantly reducing hardware requirements, such as employing purification to meet high-fidelity targets and adopting a swap as soon as possible policy for faster rates. To carry out this analysis, we employ an extensive simulation framework implemented with NetSquid, a discrete-event-based quantum-network simulator, and a genetic-algorithm-based optimization methodology to determine minimal hardware requirements.
Abstract Long-distance quantum communication via entanglement distribution is of great importance for the quantum internet. However, scaling up to such long distances has proved challenging due to the loss of photons, which grows exponentially with the distance covered. Quantum repeaters could in theory be used to extend the distances over which entanglement can be distributed, but in practice hardware quality is still lacking. Furthermore, it is generally not clear how an improvement in a certain repeater parameter, such as memory quality or attempt rate, impacts the overall network performance, rendering the path toward scalable quantum repeaters unclear. In this work we propose a methodology based on genetic algorithms and simulations of quantum repeater chains for optimization of entanglement generation and distribution. By applying it to simulations of several different repeater chains, including real-world fiber topology, we demonstrate that it can be used to answer questions such as what are the minimum viable quantum repeaters satisfying given network performance benchmarks. This methodology constitutes an invaluable tool for the development of a blueprint for a pan-European quantum internet. We have made our code, in the form of NetSquid simulations and the smart-stopos optimization tool, freely available for use either locally or on high-performance computing centers.
Restrictions imposed by existing infrastructure can make it hard to ensure an even spacing between the nodes of future fiber-based quantum networks. We investigate here the negative effects of asymmetric node placement by considering separately the placement of midpoint stations required for heralded entanglement generation, as well as of processing-node quantum repeaters in a chain. For midpoint stations, we describe the effect asymmetry has on the time required to perform one entangling attempt, the success probability of such an attempt, and the fidelity of the entangled states created. This includes accounting for the effects of chromatic dispersion on photon indistinguishability. For quantum-repeater chains, we numerically investigate how uneven spacing between repeater nodes leads to bottlenecks, thereby increasing both the waiting time and the time states are stored in noisy quantum memory. We find that while the time required to perform one entangling attempt may increase linearly with the midpoint's asymmetry, the success probability and fidelity of heralded entanglement generation and the distribution time and error rate for repeater chains all have vanishing first derivatives with respect to the amount of asymmetry. This suggests resilience of quantum-network performance against small amounts of asymmetry.
Abstract Remote quantum entanglement can enable numerous applications including distributed quantum computation, secure communication, and precision sensing. We consider how a quantum network—nodes equipped with limited quantum processing capabilities connected via lossy optical links—can distribute high-rate entanglement simultaneously between multiple pairs of users. We develop protocols for such quantum “repeater” nodes, which enable a pair of users to achieve large gains in entanglement rates over using a linear chain of quantum repeaters, by exploiting the diversity of multiple paths in the network. Additionally, we develop repeater protocols that enable multiple user pairs to generate entanglement simultaneously at rates that can far exceed what is possible with repeaters time sharing among assisting individual entanglement flows. Our results suggest that the early-stage development of quantum memories with short coherence times and implementations of probabilistic Bell-state measurements can have a much more profound impact on quantum networks than may be apparent from analyzing linear repeater chains. This framework should spur the development of a general quantum network theory, bringing together quantum memory physics, quantum information theory, quantum error correction, and computer network theory.
As quantum key distribution becomes increasingly practical, questions of how to effectively employ it in large-scale networks and over large distances becomes increasingly important. To that end, in this work, we model the performance of the E91 entanglement based QKD protocol when operating in a network consisting of both quantum repeaters and trusted nodes. We propose a number of routing protocols for this network and compare their performance under different usage scenarios. Through our modeling, we investigate optimal placement and number of trusted nodes versus repeaters depending on device performance (e.g., quality of the repeater's measurement devices). Along the way we discover interesting lessons determining what are the important physical aspects to improve for upcoming quantum networks in order to improve secure communication rates.