We consider quantum networks, where entangled-photon pairs are distributed using fibre optic links from a centralized source to entangling nodes. The entanglement is then stored (via an entanglement swap) in entangling nodes' quantum memories until used in, e.g., distributed quantum computing, quantum key distribution, quantum sensing, and other applications. Due to the fibre loss, some photons are lost in transmission. Noise in the transmission link and the quantum memory also reduces fidelity. Thus, entangling nodes must keep updated records of photon-pair arrivals to each destination, and their use by the applications. This coordination requires classical information exchange between each entangled node pair. However, the same fibre link may not admit both classical and quantum transmissions, as the classical channels can generate enough noise (i.e., via spontaneous Raman scattering) to make the quantum link unusable. Here, we consider coordinating entanglement distribution using a standard Internet protocol (IP) network instead, and propose a control protocol to enable such. We analyse the increase in latency from transmission over an IP network, together with the effect of photon loss, quantum memory noise and buffer size, to determine the fidelity and rate of entangled pairs. We characterize the relationship between the latency of the non-ideal IP network and the decoherence time of the quantum memories, providing a comparison of promising quantum memory technologies.
We consider quantum networks, where entangled-photon pairs are distributed using fibre optic links from a centralized source to entangling nodes. The entanglement is then stored (via an entanglement swap) in entangling nodes' quantum memories until used in, e.g., distributed quantum computing, quantum key distribution, quantum sensing, and other applications. Due to the fibre loss, some photons are lost in transmission. Noise in the transmission link and the quantum memory also reduces fidelity. Thus, entangling nodes must keep updated records of photon-pair arrivals to each destination, and their use by the applications. This coordination requires classical information exchange between each entangled node pair. However, the same fibre link may not admit both classical and quantum transmissions, as the classical channels can generate enough noise (i.e., via spontaneous Raman scattering) to make the quantum link unusable. Here, we consider coordinating entanglement distribution using a standard Internet protocol (IP) network instead, and propose a control protocol to enable such. We analyse the increase in latency from transmission over an IP network, together with the effect of photon loss, quantum memory noise and buffer size, to determine the fidelity and rate of entangled pairs. We characterize the relationship between the latency of the non-ideal IP network and the decoherence time of the quantum memories, providing a comparison of promising quantum memory technologies.
Quantum networks intersect a paradigmatic shift in communication technologies, offering unprecedented capabilities for secure communication and distributed computation through the exploitation of quantum mechanical phenomena.These networks facilitate revolutionary and unlimited of possibility applications such as quantum key distribution (QKD), distributed quantum computing (DQC), quantum teleportation (QT), quantum clock synchronization (QCS), etc. -all fundamentally predicated on quantum entanglement as their operational cornerstone.Moreover, on the contrary with classical computer communication protocol, quantum networks have the fundamental no-cloning theorem in the quantum mechanic prohibits conventional signal amplification techniques, necessitating the development of quantum-native routing strategies that operate within these unique constraints.However, the practical realization of quantum networks until now still faces a crucial challenge: The reliability and efficient distribution of highfidelity entangled quantum states across long distances.Due to this distribution, the process faces intrinsic limitations arising from quantum decoherence, photonic loss in transmission channels, and the inherently probabilistic nature of entanglement generation protocols.In quantum communication, fidelity serves as a fundamental metric, representing the degree of similarity or correlation between the actual distributed entangled state and an ideal maximally entangled Bell pair.Fidelity is a crucial measure of the quality of quantum states in a network since it directly affects the reliability and effectiveness of quantum communication protocols.High fidelity ensures that the transmitted entangled states maintain their quantum properties, closely resembling the ideal Bell pair, and are thus suitable for performing secure and efficient quantum operations.Latency, on the other hand, refers to the total time delay involved in the entire process of entanglement establishment, from the initial creation of the entangled pairs to the final verification and confirmation of the entanglement quality.This includes several distinct components: the physical propagation delay, which accounts for the time it takes for quantum information to travel through the communication channel (such as optical fibers); the entanglement generation time, which involves the probabilistic creation of entangled states between quantum nodes; and the quantum memory storage time, which reflects the duration for which quantum states I
Since the first protocol of quantum algorithm was put forth in 1994 (Shor, 1994), quantum information processing has been intensively studied (Nielsen & Chuang, 2000). The quantum approach has benefits over the classical optical information processing in areas such as prime number factorization (Shor, 1994), data searching (Grover, 1996), and highresolution lithography (Boto et al., 2000; Yablonovitch, 1999). Compared to conventional cryptography based on public key cryptosystem (RSA cryptosystem) using conventional computers, prime number factorization using quantum computers has demonstrated a potential for a formidable attack on existing cryptographic systems. Like conventional memory which serves in the information processing unit, such as a processing unit together with logic gates, quantum memory is also essential to quantum information and communications networks. For quantum communications via a classical optical channel, the longest communication distance a quantum light can be transmitted is determined by the sensitivity of optical detectors and a lossy classical channel such as an optical fibre. Based on current technologies, the longest distance a single photon can propagate through an optical fibre is about 100 km (Zbinden et al., 1998). This distance should limit applications of quantum information especially for long-distance quantum communications. To solve the limited photon transmission, a quantum repeater has been introduced for virtually unlimited transmission distance (Duan et al., 2001; Jiang et al., 2007; Simon et al., 2007; Waks et al., 2002). Quantum memory is an essential element for the entangled photon swapping in the quantum repeaters. Because quantum repeaters swap entangled photons shared by neighboring remote quantum nodes in a quantum network, and the quantum information must be kept coherently through the quantum network, the minimum storage time of quantum memory is determined by the longest transmission distance of the lossy optical channel. For tranceatlantic quantum communications, roughly a one-second or more storage time is required. So far, such a long photon storage has not been demonstrated, where conventional quantum memory protocols limit the storage time to spin phase decay time at most (≤10-3 second). Unlike classical memories, quantum memory must satisfy a coherent process. Since the first observation of coherent retrieval of a stored optical pulse in a Bose Einstein condensate using slow light (Liu et al., 2001), interest in quantum memories has increased in the last decade (Alexander et al., 2006; Afzelius et al., 2010; Chaneliere et al., 2005. Choi et al., 2008;
Quantum networks, integrating quantum communication, quantum metrology, and distributed quantum computing, could provide secure and efficient information transfer, high-resolution sensing, and an exponential speed-up in information processing. Deterministic entanglement distribution over long distances is a prerequisite for scalable quantum networks, enabling the utilization of device-independent quantum key distribution (DI-QKD) and quantum teleportation to achieve secure and efficient information transfer. However, the exponential photon loss in optical fibres prohibits efficient and deterministic entanglement distribution. Quantum repeaters, incorporating entanglement swapping and entanglement purification with quantum memories, offer the most promising means to overcome this limitation in fibre-based quantum networks. Despite numerous pioneering efforts toward realizing quantum repeaters, a critical bottleneck remains, as remote memory-memory entanglement suffers from decoherence more rapidly than it can be established and purified over long distances. We overcome this by developing long-lived trapped-ion memories, an efficient telecom interface, and a high-visibility single-photon entanglement protocol. This allows us to establish and maintain memory-memory entanglement over a 10 km fibre within the average entanglement establishment time for the same distance. As a direct application, we demonstrate metropolitan-scale DI-QKD, distilling 1,917 secret keys out of 4.05*10^5 Bell pairs over 10 km. We further report a positive key rate over 101 km in the asymptotic limit, extending the achievable distance by more than two orders of magnitude. Our work provides a critical building block for quantum repeaters and marks an important step toward scalable quantum networks.
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.
A quantum internet aims at harnessing networked quantum technologies, namely by distributing bipartite entanglement between distant nodes. However, multipartite entanglement between the nodes may empower the quantum internet for additional or better applications for communications, sensing, and computation. In this work, we present an algorithm for generating multipartite entanglement between different nodes of a quantum network with noisy quantum repeaters and imperfect quantum memories, where the links are entangled pairs. Our algorithm is optimal for GHZ states with 3 qubits, maximising simultaneously the final state fidelity and the rate of entanglement distribution. Furthermore, we determine the conditions yielding this simultaneous optimality for GHZ states with a higher number of qubits, and for other types of multipartite entanglement. Our algorithm is general also in the sense that it can optimise simultaneously arbitrary parameters. This work opens the way to optimally generate multipartite quantum correlations over noisy quantum networks, an important resource for distributed quantum technologies.
Entanglement distribution is a fundamental building block of quantum communication networks, enabling the secure and reliable exchange of quantum information over long distances. Unlike classical communication, quantum networks exploit the unique properties of quantum entanglement to support applications such as quantum key distribution, quantum teleportation, distributed quantum computing, and networked quantum sensing. Although significant progress has been made in recent years, the efficient generation, transmission, and preservation of entangled states remain major research challenges due to photon loss, decoherence, and limitations in current communication infrastructure.This review provides a comprehensive overview of entanglement distribution in quantum communication networks, focusing on the technologies that enable practical implementation and the latest experimental developments. It discusses key approaches for generating and distributing entangled photons through optical fibers, free-space links, and satellite-based communication, together with supporting technologies such as quantum repeaters, quantum memories, and photonic devices. The review also examines recent experimental demonstrations that have advanced long-distance quantum communication while highlighting the technical barriers that must be overcome for large-scale deployment. Finally, emerging applications and future research directions are presented, including the development of scalable quantum networks, the quantum internet, and secure global communication systems. This review aims to provide researchers and students with a clear understanding of the current state of entanglement distribution and its growing role in next-generation quantum communication technologies.