Conventional quantum routing operates under the entrenched assumption that pathfinding is a prerequisite for routing. This classical-inspired routing model imposes a restricting design option, which prevents scaling the quantumness to the network functioning. In this paper, we proposed a novel entanglement-driven routing framework that exploits multipartite entanglement complementation for enabling simultaneous 1-hop connectivity among all non-adjacent source-destination pairs. This changes the notion of ``remoteness'' in the entanglement graph, activated by entanglement. We extend this framework to inter-domain quantum networks and design a polynomial-time algorithm. Such an algorithm allows to select and parallelize multiple requests, bypassing NP-complete path discovery. Performance analysis shows the proposed routing strategy achieves up to $60\%$ hop reduction, with the algorithm enabling efficient parallelism and strong scalability in inter-domain quantum networks.
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This work has been funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe ERC-CoG grant QNattyNet ("Quantum-Native Communication Networks: from Quantum Message to Quantum Functioning''), n.101169850. Details at https://qnattynet.quantuminternet.it
Conventional quantum routing operates under the entrenched assumption that pathfinding is a prerequisite for routing. This classical-inspired routing model imposes a restricting design option, which prevents scaling the quantumness to the network functioning. In this paper, we proposed a novel entanglement-driven routing framework that exploits multipartite entanglement complementation for enabling simultaneous 1-hop connectivity among all non-adjacent source-destination pairs. This changes the notion of ``remoteness'' in the entanglement graph, activated by entanglement. We extend this framework to inter-domain quantum networks and design a polynomial-time algorithm. Such an algorithm allows to select and parallelize multiple requests, bypassing NP-complete path discovery. Performance analysis shows the proposed routing strategy achieves up to 60% hop reduction, with the algorithm enabling efficient parallelism and strong scalability in inter-domain quantum networks.
Existing quantum routing implicitly mimics classical routing principles, with finding the “best” path (aka pathfinding, according to a selected routing metric, as a core mechanism for establishing end-to-end entanglement. However, optimal pathfinding is computationally intensive, particularly in complex topologies. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to quantum routing, which avoids the inherent overhead of conventional quantum pathfinding, by establishing directly entanglement between remote nodes. Our approach exploits graph complement strategies. It allows to improve the flexibility and efficiency of quantum networks, by paving the way for more practical quantum communication infrastructures.
Quantum networks are gaining momentum in finding applications in a wide range of domains. However, little research has investigated the potential of a quantum network framework to enable highly reliable communications. The goal of this work is to investigate and design the multiple-entanglement routing framework, namely k-entangled routing. In particular, the k-entangled routing will enable k paths connecting all demands (source-destination pairs) in the network. To design the k-entangled routing, we propose two algorithms that are called Sequential Multi-path Scheduling Algorithm and Min-Cut-based Multi-path Scheduling Algorithm. In addition, we evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithms and models through a realistic quantum network simulator, NetSquid, that models the stochastic processes underlying quantum communications. The results show that the proposed algorithms (SMPSA and MCSA) largely enhance the network's traffic flexibility. The proposed paradigms would lay the foundation for further research on the area of entanglement routing.
This paper presents a novel algorithm for optimizing routing within quantum networks, leveraging the unique properties of entangled states. The core of the algorithm relies on a graph-theoretic approach, utilizing entanglement correlations to dynamically determine optimal paths for quantum information transmission. This approach addresses the significant challenge of efficient routing in quantum networks, a critical factor for their scalability and practical implementation. The algorithm incorporates adaptive mechanisms, allowing the network to respond to changes in connectivity and demand. We demonstrate, through theoretical analysis and a formalized mathematical framework, the potential for this method to drastically improve quantum network performance compared to traditional routing strategies. The presented framework provides a foundational methodology for building large-scale, resilient quantum networks capable of supporting complex quantum information processing tasks. The key contribution lies in the systematic application of entangled state correlations to the routing problem, moving beyond purely classical network optimization techniques.
Quantum networks enable a number of important applications such as quantum key distribution. The basic function of a quantum network is to enable long-distance quantum entanglement between two remote communication parties. This work focuses on the entanglement routing problem, whose objective is to build long-distance entanglements for the concurrent source-destination pairs through multiple hops. Different from existing works that analyzes the traditional routing techniques on special network topologies, we present a comprehensive entanglement routing model that reflects the differences between quantum networks and classical networks and new entanglement routing algorithms that utilize the unique properties of quantum networks. Evaluation results show that the proposed algorithm Q-CAST increases the number of successful long-distance entanglements by a big margin compared to other methods. The model and simulator developed by this work may encourage more network researchers to study the entanglement routing problem.
Entanglement routing establishes remote entanglement connection between two arbitrary nodes, which is one of the most important functions in quantum networks. The existing routing mechanisms mainly improve the robustness and throughput facing the failure of entanglement generations, which, however, rarely include the considerations on the most important metric to evaluate the quality of connection, entanglement fidelity. To solve this problem, we propose purification-enabled entanglement routing designs to provide fidelity guarantee for multiple Source-Destination (S-D) pairs in quantum networks. In our proposal, we first consider the single S-D pair scenario and design an iterative routing algorithm, Q-PATH, to find the optimal purification decisions along the routing path with minimum entangled pair cost. Further, a low-complexity routing algorithm using an extended Dijkstra algorithm, Q-LEAP, is designed to reduce the computational complexity by using a simple but effective purification decision method. Finally, we consider the common scenario with multiple S-D pairs and design a greedy-based algorithm considering resource allocation and re-routing process for multiple routing requests. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithms not only can provide fidelity-guaranteed routing solutions, but also has superior performance in terms of throughput, fidelity of end-to-end entanglement connection, and resource utilization ratio, compared with the existing routing scheme.
Quantum networks, endowed with their distinct quantum properties, are poised to emerge as indispensable platforms for the implementation of quantum information technology applications in the near future. Within the realm of quantum networks, the transmission of remote quantum information presents a pivotal and intricate challenge, commonly referred to as the entanglement routing problem. While previous efforts have delved into the intricacies of entanglement routing, there has been a notable oversight concerning the crucial parameter of entanglement fidelity. Hence, this paper introduces a novel Purification-enabled Entanglement Routing Algorithm (PERA). Initially, PERA utilizes the network throughput as the routing metric and ensures fidelity guarantees on all nodes in the link through a hop-by-hop purification process. Subsequently, acknowledging the probabilistic nature of entanglement purification, a strategy involving multiple attempts at purification is employed. Finally, a comprehensive utility function is deployed to address the path selection problem for multiple source–destination pairs. Numerical simulations confirm that PERA establishes entanglement connections with outstanding fidelity guarantees. Concurrently, PERA outperforms the baseline algorithm in terms of network throughput and resource utilization.