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IEEE International Conference on Quantum Computing and Engineering (QCE)

A Comparative Study of All-Photonic and Memory-Based Quantum Repeaters and Networks

Ching-Lin Chan, Charu Jain, Ezra Kissel, Wenji Wu, Edwin Barnes, Sophia E. Economou, Inder Monga

Published Aug 30, 2025• 3 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Developing and deploying advanced Quantum Repeater (QR) technologies will be necessary to scale quantum networks at longer distances. Depending on the error mitigation mechanisms adopted to suppress loss and errors, QRs are typically classified into “memory-based” or “all-photonic” QRs, and each type of QR may be best suited for a specific type of underlying quantum technology, a particular scale of quantum network, or a specific regime of operational parameters. Modeling and simulation of quantum repeaters and networks can help in understanding the relative performance and resource requirements of different types of QRs, identify tradeoffs of alternative quantum network architectures, optimize quantum hardware, and assist in the design of a robust control plane. This paper introduces a quantum repeater simulation toolkit based on NetSquid, which includes component models and protocols to study advanced quantum repeater networks. We present our initial research findings on modeling and simulation of “allphotonic” entanglement-based QRs and “memory-based” first generation trapped ion QRs. We study the relative performance and resource requirements of these two different types of QRs and networks. The performance metrics include entanglement generation rate and fidelity between the endpoints of the network. For fair comparison of resource requirements of different types of QRs, entanglement generation rate is normalized by the total number of matter qubits involved.

DOI
10.1109/qce65121.2025.00099

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Developing and deploying advanced Quantum Repeater (QR) technologies will be necessary to scale quantum networks at longer distances. Depending on the error mitigation mechanisms adopted to suppress loss and errors, QRs are typically classified into “memory-based” or “all-photonic” QRs, and each type of QR may be best suited for a specific type of underlying quantum technology, a particular scale of quantum network, or a specific regime of operational parameters. Modeling and simulation of quantum repeaters and networks can help in understanding the relative performance and resource requirements of different types of QRs, identify tradeoffs of alternative quantum network architectures, optimize quantum hardware, and assist in the design of a robust control plane. This paper introduces a quantum repeater simulation toolkit based on NetSquid, which includes component models and protocols to study advanced quantum repeater networks. We present our initial research findings on modeling and simulation of “allphotonic” entanglement-based QRs and “memory-based” first generation trapped ion QRs. We study the relative performance and resource requirements of these two different types of QRs and networks. The performance metrics include entanglement generation rate and fidelity between the endpoints of the network. For fair comparison of resource requirements of different types of QRs, entanglement generation rate is normalized by the total number of matter qubits involved.
Developing and deploying advanced Quantum Repeater (QR) technologies will be necessary to scale quantum networks to longer distances. Depending on the error mitigation mechanisms adopted to suppress loss and errors, QRs are typically classified into memory-based or all-photonic QRs; and each type of QR may be best suited for a specific type of underlying quantum technology, a particular scale of quantum networks, or a specific regime of operational parameters. We perform theoretical analysis and simulations of quantum repeaters and networks to investigate the relative performance and resource requirements of different quantum network paradigms. Our results will help guide the optimization of quantum hardware and components and shed light on the role of a robust control plane. We present our research findings on theoretical analysis and simulations of memory-based first-generation trapped-ion quantum repeaters and networks, and all-photonic entanglement-based quantum repeaters and networks. We study the relative performance in terms of entanglement generation rate and fidelity, as well as the resource requirements of these two different quantum network paradigms.
Abstract Scaling quantum networks to long distances necessitates the development of advanced quantum repeater (QR) technologies. Depending on the error mitigation mechanisms adopted to suppress loss and errors, QRs are typically classified into memory-based or all-photonic QRs; and each type of QR may be best suited for a specific type of underlying quantum technology, a particular scale of quantum networks, or a specific regime of operational parameters. This paper presents a comparative theoretical and simulation-based analysis of first-generation memory-based trapped-ion QRs and networks, and all-photonic entanglement-based QRs and networks. Our model incorporates a wide range of realistic parameters and noise sources to evaluate performance trade-offs. Major research findings of this study include: (a) the entanglement rate does not necessarily scale with the number of QRs. Although adding repeaters in a chain helps to reduce photon loss in quantum links, it also introduces overheads that can be attributed to imperfect photon collection, inefficient quantum frequency conversion, and limited detector efficiency. The entanglement rate only improves when the distance between QRs exceeds a certain threshold, specifically, when the reduction in photon loss in quantum links gained by adding QRs outweighs the inherent overheads they introduce. (b) Without quantum error correction and entanglement purification, the entanglement fidelity decreases with the number of QRs, regardless of the chain distance. Finally, the theoretical models and simulation software package developed in this study provide a versatile framework for the design and evaluation of future QR technologies, protocols, and architectures.
This paper explores the design and implementation of trapped-ion quantum repeaters and networks using modeling and simulation. We aim to quantitatively understand the practical architecture design and resource requirements of trapped-ion entanglement-based quantum repeater paradigms. Our simulation results explore entanglement rate and fidelity as key performance metrics, and we discuss the major challenges for practical deployment of quantum networks and future directions for research and development in order to meet these challenges.
In this thesis, I explore whether it is possible to build a unified Quantum Internet architecture that supports different types of quantum repeaters -- especially the two most distinct and seemingly incompatible ones: memory-based quantum repeaters and all-photonic, memoryless repeaters. These technologies have traditionally been developed with the aim of becoming the single dominant solution, but I ask: Can they work together in the same network? What kind of architecture would support both? And how can simulation help us understand what is needed to manage such a network at scale? To address these questions, I propose an architecture based on an existing recursive network design and programmable RuleSet-based protocols that can coordinate diverse hardware components. I introduce a new emitter-photon building block to bridge memory-based and all-photonic segments, and show how classical networking abstractions can be extended to manage quantum operations. While I have developed a simulation tool grounded in these architectural principles and validated it against existing simulators and analytical models, a full-scale investigation of the resource trade-offs and performance implications remains future work. Nevertheless, the results so far suggest that a unified, heterogeneous quantum network is not only possible but increasingly practical with current technologies -- though ongoing experimental progress will be essential to fully realize this vision.
Despite the tremendous progress of quantum cryptography, efficient quantum communication over long distances (≥ 1000 km) remains an outstanding challenge due to fiber attenuation and operation errors accumulated over the entire communication distance. Quantum repeaters (QRs), as a promising approach, can overcome both photon loss and operation errors, and hence significantly speedup the communication rate. Depending on the methods used to correct loss and operation errors, all the proposed QR schemes can be classified into three categories (generations). Here we present the first systematic comparison of three generations of quantum repeaters by evaluating the cost of both temporal and physical resources, and identify the optimized quantum repeater architecture for a given set of experimental parameters for use in quantum key distribution. Our work provides a roadmap for the experimental realizations of highly efficient quantum networks over transcontinental distances.
Entangled photons can be used to create a truly secure communication link between two parties. However, the distance over which this can be achieved is limited by the transmission losses associated with optical fibers. One potential solution is using quantum repeaters (QRs) where initial entanglement is created over short distances and then extended via entanglement swapping. The system-level performance metrics (data rate, fidelity of entanglement, etc.) impose demands upon the hardware components (of a QR), which can be used to guide applied materials and device design toward these objectives. This has become increasingly important with an expanding list of candidates for quantum technologies, as the physical realization of each qubit or detector technology brings its own set of advantages and disadvantages. In this article, we present a framework that uses a modular QR and highlights the tradeoffs that exist between technological component modules. Using reported values, we take a near-term perspective and show the achievable range of rates as a function of distance and the corresponding requirements on matter qubit properties.