Quantum repeater development for quantum communication network

Nicholas A. Peters, Muneer Alshowkan, Joseph C. Chapman +10 more

In this article we review recent and ongoing research in quantum communications and networking within the Quantum Information Science Section at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Our research spans applications such as quantum key distribution as well as more fundamental aspects needed to develop scalable quantum networks including quantum repeaters and space-based quantum communications platforms.

Hans J. Briegel, J. I. Cirac, Wolfgang Dür +2 more

Matthew S. Winnel

Ping Wang, Xi Zhang, Genshe Chen +2 more

In recent years, quantum-based techniques have attracted significant research attention because of its unique advantages on satellite communications, especially for security problem. Security guarantee is one of the most important requirements in QoS-driven 3D satellite networks. Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a methodology for generating and distributing random encryption keys using the principles of quantum physics, which enables two distant communications parties to securely communicate in a way that cannot be eavesdropped on without being detected. Although the QKD method can ensure the absolute security transmission over 3D satellite networks, it imposes many new implementation challenges due to the various limitations on quantum communication over long distances via 3D free space, including quantum channel attenuation, photon-state disruption and vulnerability to noise/interference, laser-beam widening, and constrained security-key generation rate. These problems get even more challenging when QoS provisioning is required for the applications over the 3D satellite networks. To overcome the aforementioned difficulties, we propose the framework to efficiently implement the QKD for security guarantees over quantum-repeater-based QoS-driven 3D satellite networks. First, we develop the quantum-repeater-based QKD satellite network architecture. Then, we design the quantum repeater including the purification scheduling algorithm and the optimal QoS-based repeating-router selection scheme in quantum-repeater-based QKD satellite networks. Finally, the obtained simulations evaluation validate and evaluate our proposed algorithms and schemes.

Julius Wallnöfer, Michael J. Zwerger, Christine A. Muschik +2 more

The endeavor to develop quantum networks gave rise to a rapidly developing field with far-reaching applications such as secure communication and the realization of distributed computing tasks. This ultimately calls for the creation of flexible multiuser structures that allow for quantum communication between arbitrary pairs of parties in the network and facilitate also multiuser applications. To address this challenge, we propose a two-dimensional quantum repeater architecture to establish long-distance entanglement shared between multiple communication partners in the presence of channel noise and imperfect local control operations. The scheme is based on the creation of self-similar multiqubit entanglement structures at growing scale, where variants of entanglement swapping and multiparty entanglement purification are combined to create high-fidelity entangled states. We show how such networks can be implemented using trapped ions in cavities.

Yury Kurochkin