Reconfigurable Quantum Internet Service Provider

Abstract

Quantum network is a research topic involving fundamental quantum information science, engineering designs, and experimental implementations. Existing research works primarily pertain to theoretical architecture designs and proof-of-concept experimental demonstrations. With the recent developments in engineering quantum systems, the realization of scalable local-area quantum networks has become viable. However, the design and implementation of a quantum network is a holistic task that is way beyond the scope of an abstract design problem. As such, a testbed on which multiple disciplines can verify the design and implementation across a full networking stack has become a necessary infrastructure for the future development of quantum networks. In this work, we demonstrate the concept of quantum internet service provider (QISP), in analogy to the conventional ISP that allows for the sharing of classical information between the network nodes. The QISP is significant for the next-generation quantum networks as it coordinates the production, management, control, and sharing of quantum information across the end-users of a quantum network. We construct a reconfigurable QISP comprising both the quantum hardware and classical control software. Building on the fiber-based quantum-network testbed of the Center for Quantum Networks (CQN) at the University of Arizona (UA), we develop an integrated QISP prototype based on a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) architecture, whose classical control software is abstracted and modularized as an open-source QISP framework. To verify and characterize the QISP's performance, we demonstrate multi-channel entanglement distribution and routing among multiple quantum-network nodes with a time-energy entangled-photon source. We further perform field tests of concurrent services for multiple users across the quantum-network testbed. Our experiment demonstrates the robust capabilities of the QISP, laying the foundation for the design and verification of architectures and protocols for future quantum networks.