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IEEE Access

Optimal Routing for Quantum Networks

Marcello Caleffi

Published Jan 1, 2017• 243 citations
Publisher

Abstract

To fully unleash the potentials of quantum computing, several new challenges and open problems need to be addressed. From a routing perspective, the optimal routing problem, i.e., the problem of jointly designing a routing protocol and a route metric assuring the discovery of the route providing the highest quantum communication opportunities between an arbitrary couple of quantum devices, is crucial. In this paper, the optimal routing problem is addressed for generic quantum network architectures composed by repeaters operating through single atoms in optical cavities. Specifically, we first model the entanglement generation through a stochastic framework that allows us to jointly account for the key physical-mechanisms affecting the end-to-end entanglement rate, such as decoherence time, atom-photon and photon-photon entanglement generation, entanglement swapping, and imperfect Bell-state measurement. Then, we derive the closed-form expression of the end-to-end entanglement rate for an arbitrary path and we design an efficient algorithm for entanglement rate computation. Finally, we design a routing protocol and we prove its optimality when used in conjunction with the entanglement rate as routing metric.

DOI
10.1109/access.2017.2763325

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To fully unleash the potentials of quantum computing, several new challenges and open problems need to be addressed. From a routing perspective, the optimal routing problem, i.e., the problem of jointly designing a routing protocol and a route metric assuring the discovery of the route providing the highest quantum communication opportunities between an arbitrary couple of quantum devices, is crucial. In this paper, the optimal routing problem is addressed for generic quantum network architectures composed by repeaters operating through single atoms in optical cavities. Specifically, we first model the entanglement generation through a stochastic framework that allows us to jointly account for the key physical-mechanisms affecting the end-to-end entanglement rate, such as decoherence time, atom-photon and photon-photon entanglement generation, entanglement swapping, and imperfect Bell-state measurement. Then, we derive the closed-form expression of the end-to-end entanglement rate for an arbitrary path and we design an efficient algorithm for entanglement rate computation. Finally, we design a routing protocol and we prove its optimality when used in conjunction with the entanglement rate as routing metric.
We present an entanglement-generation rate analysis for generic quantum network architectures composed by repeaters operating through single atoms in optical cavities. Specifically, we analytically derive the end-to-end entanglement rate between a couple of nodes through an arbitrary path. To this aim, we first model the entanglement generation through a stochastic framework that allows us to jointly account for all the key physical-mechanisms affecting the end-to-end entanglement rate, such as decoherence time, atom- photon and photon-photon entanglement generation, entanglement swapping and imperfect bell-state measurement. Then, we derive the closed-form expression of the end-to-end entanglement rate. Finally, we evaluate the entanglement rate under realistic parameter setting.
A quantum repeater is the heart of a quantum internet that enables end-to-end communication over long distances using the quantum entanglement feature. Although this characteristic gives quantum networks tremendous power in terms of speed and security, it puts quantum networks, especially the quantum internet, in front of challenges, like transforming a short-distance quantum link into a long-distance link, in addition to entanglement routing for finding the best path within a quantum network. So, this research aims to propose a hybrid quantum routing protocol (HQRP) based on routing metrics of the classical networks like hops count, as well as metrics of the quantum network represented by the possibility of entanglement between end nodes in the network. As a result, a mathematical model was built to determine the optimal path among many paths within the quantum network, and it was implemented on our quantum network simulator. Finally, we concluded that the proposed algorithm gives the optimal path based on the highest entanglement probability and lowest number of hop count.
In this work, we describe a routing algebra corresponding to the problem of establishing end-to-end quantum entanglements between nodes connected through a network of first generation quantum repeaters. Our goal is to design an algorithm which can determine all the routes and swapping schedules to achieve maximal rates of end-to-end entanglement. We aim to provide an improvement in terms of complexity over an existing solution while increasing the number of routes and schedules available to offer more alternatives for the entanglement generation layer of a quantum protocol stack.
The mechanism of transferring and routing information in quantum and classical network are basically different. The basic idea and working principle of quantum networks is based on a unique feature of quantum mechanics known as entanglement. Since entanglement generation rate is a key factor for quantum networks it can be considered as a route metric. In this paper, we propose two different protocols for local entanglement routing in a quantum ring network. In the first protocol, local link entanglement rate is considered as a route metric. However, the routing decision in the second protocol is made based on finding the shortest path between source and destination. It is shown that though local link entanglement rate is decisive criterion for routing in the first algorithm, the second algorithm can reach higher end-to-end entanglement rate.
This paper proposes a novel approach to network routing leveraging the unique properties of quantum entanglement. Traditional network routing relies on physical distances and delays, presenting inherent limitations in bandwidth and latency. This research posits that quantum entanglement can be harnessed to overcome these constraints, enabling ultra-high bandwidth and low-latency data routing. The core concept involves constructing a "quantum network" composed of entangled qubits, enabling efficient data transmission and routing via precise control of the entangled states. We explore and develop algorithms designed to minimize entanglement loss and latency, crucial factors in realizing the full potential of this technology. The theoretical framework presented here introduces a fundamentally new paradigm for network architecture, moving beyond classical constraints and towards a quantum-enhanced communication infrastructure. The primary focus is on the theoretical design and optimization of routing protocols specifically tailored for entangled quantum networks. We outline a methodology for simulating and optimizing quantum routing algorithms, acknowledging the challenges associated with decoherence and entanglement degradation. This work establishes a foundation for future research and development in quantum networking and routing.
With the emergence of the Quantum Internet, the need for advanced quantum networking techniques has significantly risen. Various models of quantum repeaters have been presented, each delineating a unique strategy to ensure quantum communication over long distances. We focus on repeaters that employ entanglement generation and swapping. This revolves around establishing remote end-to-end entanglement through repeaters, a concept we denote as the “quantum-native” repeaters (also called “first-generation” repeaters in some literature). The challenges in routing with quantum-native repeaters arise from probabilistic entanglement generation and restricted coherence time. Current approaches use synchronized time slots to search for entanglement-swapping paths, resulting in inefficiencies. Here, we propose a new set of asynchronous routing protocols for quantum networks by incorporating the idea of maintaining a dynamic topology in a distributed manner, which has been extensively studied in classical routing for lossy networks, such as using a destination-oriented directed acyclic graph or a spanning tree. The protocols update the entanglement-link topology asynchronously, identify optimal entanglement-swapping paths, and preserve unused direct-link entanglements. Our results indicate that asynchronous protocols achieve a larger upper bound with an appropriate setting and significantly higher entanglement rate than existing synchronous approaches, and the rate increases with coherence time, suggesting that it will have a much more profound impact on quantum networks as technology advances.