The Quantum Internet has the potential to improve Internet application
functionality by incorporating quantum information technology into the
infrastructure of the overall Internet. In this document, we provide
an overview of some applications expected to be used on the Quantum
Internet, and then categorize them using various classification
schemes. The intent of this document is to provide a common
understanding and framework of applications and use cases for the
Quantum Internet.
The Quantum Internet has the potential to improve Internet application
functionality by incorporating quantum information technology into the
infrastructure of the overall Internet. In this document, we provide
an overview of some applications expected to be used on the Quantum
Internet, and then categorize them using various classification
schemes. The intent of this document is to provide a common
understanding and framework of applications and use cases for the
Quantum Internet.
Breakthrough developments in quantum information technology is paving the way to the Quantum Internet. This article aims to provide an overview of the current state of research and development in the field of Quantum Communications and Quantum Internet. We examine the main building blocks and the latest achievements. By providing a holistic overview of recent achievements, this article fosters a deeper understanding of these building blocks, the related opportunities, and challenges associated with the realization of the Quantum Internet. We also provide some simple pedagogical models aimed to give the reader a clear insight on the interactions between quantum networking elements. A simple Quantum Internet 5Level-3D communication model is also provided, which integrates with, rather than parallels, the classical OSI and TCP/IP models. We further describe deployed testbeds and trials and highlight potential opportunities and challenges for Communication Service Provider's. We also provide some KPIs of quantum technologies and their evolution over the last decade. This article is intended as a self-contained entry level tutorial for newcomers who are not familiar with quantum information theory, but with some background knowledge about classical networking. Academics, students, as well as professionals can use this article to become able to begin researching the Quantum Internet, without having to read a plethora of articles, web pages, and books on the subject.
Nowadays, the classical Internet is mainly envisioned as the underlying communication infrastructure of the Quantum Internet, aimed at providing services such as signaling and coordination messages. However, the interplay between the classical and the quantum Internet is complex and its understanding is pivotal for an effective design of the Quantum Internet protocol stack. The aim of the article is to shed light on this interplay, by highlighting the fact that such an interplay is indeed bidirectional rather than unidirectional. The Quantum Internet exhibits the potential of supporting and even enhancing classical Internet functionalities.
The advanced notebooks, mobile phones, and internet applications in today’s world that we use are all entrenched in classical communication bits of zeros and ones. Classical internet has laid its foundation originating from the amalgamation of mathematics and Claude Shannon’s theory of information. However, today’s internet technology is a playground for eavesdroppers. This poses a serious challenge to various applications that rely on classical internet technology, and it has motivated the researchers to switch to new technologies that are fundamentally more secure. By exploring the quantum effects, researchers paved the way into quantum networks that provide security, privacy, and range of capabilities such as quantum computation, communication, and metrology. The realization of Quantum Internet (QI) requires quantum communication between various remote nodes through quantum channels guarded by quantum cryptographic protocols. Such networks rely upon quantum bits (qubits) that can simultaneously take the value of zeros and ones. Due to the extraordinary properties of qubits such as superposition, entanglement, and teleportation, it gives an edge to quantum networks over traditional networks in many ways. At the same time, transmitting qubits over long distances is a formidable task and extensive research is going on satellite-based quantum communication, which will deliver breakthroughs for physically realizing QI in near future. In this paper, QI functionalities, technologies, applications and open challenges have been extensively surveyed to help readers gain a basic understanding of the infrastructure required for the development of the global QI.
A quantum internet is an emerging quantum information technology, possibly becoming a pinnacle of wide-area distributed system allowed under the laws of physics. The current expansion of quantum technologies would lead to innumerable types of quantum systems, composed of various kinds of quantum devices connected by a dedicated quantum network. However, the (inter)connectivity offered by a quantum internet should ideally be agnostic of the technologies used by each component system. Furthermore, concurrent progresses of the quantum technologies complicate the task of defining what a quantum internet is. In this paper, we adopt a backcasting approach to elucidate what a quantum internet should be. We begin by discussing what we believe to be the requirements of an ultimate distributed quantum system, from which we explain what role a quantum internet would play in achieving this ultimate system. We then lead to more practical requirements on a quantum internet, considering the known and expected constraints in designing a quantum internet. We also organize and categorize the relationship among known quantum network technologies and services relevant to a quantum internet. We hope this document to lay a common ground for all the key stakeholders of a quantum internet, including researchers, industrial enterprises, and policy makers and regulators.
As the field of the quantum internet advances, a comprehensive guide to navigate its complexities has become increasingly crucial. While quantum computing shares foundational principles with the quantum internet, distinguishing between the two is essential for further development and deeper understanding. This work systematically introduces the quantum internet by discussing its importance, core components, operational mechanisms, anticipated timeline for viability, key contributors, major challenges, and future directions. Additionally, it presents the fundamental concepts of quantum mechanics that underpin the technology, offering a clear and targeted overview intended for researchers and industry professionals and laying the groundwork for future innovations and research in the field.
With the development of quantum technologies, the quantum internet has demonstrated unique applications beyond the classical internet and has been investigated extensively in recent years. In the construction of conventional internet software, the protocol stack is the core architecture for coordinating modules. How to design a protocol stack for the quantum internet is a challenging problem. In this paper, we systematically review the latest developments in quantum internet protocols from the perspective of protocol stack layering. By summarizing and analyzing the progress in each layer’s protocols, we reveal the current research status and connections among the layers. Our work provides readers with a comprehensive understanding of the quantum internet and can help support researchers focusing on a single layer to better define the functions that the layer should possess and optimize related protocols. This approach enables all layers to work better together based on an understanding of the other layers.