Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs) face persistent challenges such as high attenuation, limited bandwidth, and environmental interference, which constrain their reliability and performance. This survey investigates the potential of quantum sensing technologies to overcome these limitations. We systematically review and analyze quantum-enhanced detection methods, entanglement-based communication protocols, and quantum magnetometry for underwater applications. Our study highlights how quantum techniques can conceptually improve signal detection, extend communication range, and enhance positioning accuracy. By comparing existing surveys, identifying key research gaps, and outlining a roadmap for practical implementation, this work provides a comprehensive perspective on advancing UWSNs through quantum technologies.
Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs) face persistent challenges such as high attenuation, limited bandwidth, and environmental interference, which constrain their reliability and performance. This survey investigates the potential of quantum sensing technologies to overcome these limitations. We systematically review and analyze quantum-enhanced detection methods, entanglement-based communication protocols, and quantum magnetometry for underwater applications. Our study highlights how quantum techniques can conceptually improve signal detection, extend communication range, and enhance positioning accuracy. By comparing existing surveys, identifying key research gaps, and outlining a roadmap for practical implementation, this work provides a comprehensive perspective on advancing UWSNs through quantum technologies.
The current rise of quantum technology is compelled by quantum sensing research. Thousands of research labs are developing and testing a broad range of sensor prototypes. However, there is a lack of knowledge about specific applications and real-world use cases where the benefits of these sensors will be most pronounced. This study presents a comprehensive review of quantum sensing state-of-practice. It also provides a detailed analysis of how quantum sensing overcomes the existing limitations of sensor-driven systems’ precision and performance. Based on the review of over 500 quantum sensor prototype reports, we determined four groups of quantum sensors and discussed their readiness for commercial usage. We concluded that quantum magnetometry and quantum optics are the most advanced sensing technologies with empirically proven results. In turn, quantum timing and kinetics are still in the early stages of practical validation. In addition, we defined four systems domains in which quantum sensors offer a solution for existing limitations of conventional sensing technologies. These domains are 1) GPS-free positioning and navigating services, 2) time-based operations, 3) topological visibility, and 4) environment detection, prediction, and modeling. Finally, we discussed the current constraints of quantum sensing technologies and offered directions for future research.
With the ever-growing concern for internet security, the field of quantum cryptography emerges as a promising solution for enhancing the security of networking systems. In this paper, 20 notable papers from leading conferences and journals are reviewed and categorized based on their focus on various aspects of quantum cryptography, including key distribution, quantum bit commitment, post-quantum cryptography, and counterfactual quantum key distribution. The paper explores the motivations and challenges of employing quantum cryptography, addressing security and privacy concerns along with existing solutions. Secure key distribution, a critical component in ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of transmitted information over a network, is emphasized in the discussion. The survey examines the potential of quantum cryptography to enable secure key exchange between parties, even when faced with eavesdropping, and other applications of quantum cryptography. Additionally, the paper analyzes the methodologies, findings, and limitations of each reviewed study, pinpointing trends such as the increasing focus on practical implementation of quantum cryptography protocols and the growing interest in post-quantum cryptography research. Furthermore, the survey identifies challenges and open research questions, including the need for more efficient quantum repeater networks, improved security proofs for continuous variable quantum key distribution, and the development of quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms, showing future directions for the field of quantum cryptography.
Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs) function as essential systems which support naval defence operations, environmental monitoring, offshore industrial work and sea-depth exploration activities. These networks experience major performance problems along with security-related issues. The communication distance of acoustic links extends far, but their data transfer speed remains slow, while they experience high latency and get disrupted by noise, multipath fading and interference. The dual nature of underwater communication systems creates a permanent conflict between achieving fast data transfer rates and extending network coverage. The current technical barriers in UWSNs become more challenging because standard encryption methods fail to protect against quantum computer attacks; which enable eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks. The Quantum-Assisted Keying-Underwater Wireless Sensor Network (QuAKey-UWSN) system uses Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) with adaptive acoustic-optical communication to create a new hybrid framework that addresses current network limitations. QKD is used to develop unbreakable encryption through physical laws, which detect bugging, overhearing, secret spying attacks, while the versatile fusion planner chooses between acoustic and optical channels for instant quantum key distribution and passing data exchange, depending on the acoustic channels for long range communication. The system uses MATLAB, NS-3 and Qiskit for simulation testing to demonstrate its operational success. The system produces secure keys at more than 3.5 kbps while maintaining 99% packet delivery ratio and 10.5 ms average latency. In this analysis QuAKey-UWSN has shown effective performance with strong robustness and wide-ranging capabilities, making it suitable for underwater operations that require dependable and secure communication systems.
Background: High-precision sensing is vital for modern technology, yet conventional sensors are fundamentally constrained by classical noise limits. Quantum sensing leverages principles of quantum mechanics, such as superposition and entanglement, to overcome these barriers, offering unprecedented sensitivity. This review comprehensively analyzes the current state of quantum sensor technology, focusing on its underlying physical principles, emerging applications, and the pathway toward industrial maturation.Methods: We synthesize findings from key research areas, detailing the foundational quantum systems like Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) centers in diamond and advanced optical techniques. The paper reviews the theoretical methods used to achieve sub-shot-noise performance and discusses the system-level engineering challenges necessary for practical deployment, particularly concerning microwave control and optical readout. We also assess the current landscape of standardization efforts for quantum technologies.Results: Significant breakthroughs are highlighted in both biomedical and environmental sensing. Applications range from tracking cellular redox-status using electron-paramagnetic resonance to ultra-sensitive salinity measurements. The analysis confirms that quantum sensing provides superior resolution compared to classical counterparts, unlocking new capabilities in in-vivo and real-time monitoring.Discussion: While offering transformative potential, widespread adoption faces hurdles, including the maintenance of quantum coherence in ambient environments and the high cost and complexity of current instrumentation. Future efforts must focus on miniaturization, integration with classical systems, and standardized fabrication protocols. Quantum sensing represents the next-generation technological paradigm for metrology.
The potential synergy between quantum communications and future wireless communication systems is explored. By proposing a quantum-native or quantum-by-design philosophy, the survey examines technologies such as quantumdomain (QD) multi-input multi-output, QD non-orthogonal multiple access, quantum secure direct communication, QD resource allocation, QD routing, and QD artificial intelligence. The recent research advances in these areas are summarized. Given the behavior of photonic and particle-like Terahertz (THz) systems, a comprehensive system-oriented perspective is adopted to assess the feasibility of using quantum communications in future systems. This survey also reviews quantum optimization algorithms and quantum neural networks to explore the potential integration of quantum communication and quantum computing in future systems. Additionally, the current status of quantum sensing, quantum radar, and quantum timing is briefly reviewed in support of future applications. The associated research gaps and future directions are identified, including extending the entanglement coherence time, developing THz quantum communications devices, addressing challenges in channel estimation and tracking, and establishing the theoretical bounds and performance trade-offs of quantum communication, computing, and sensing. This survey offers a unique perspective on the potential for quantum communications to revolutionize future systems and pave the way for even more advanced technologies.