A Novel Approach to Quality of Service Provisioning in Trusted Relay Quantum Key Distribution Networks

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new QoS model and routing protocol for quantum key distribution networks, improving scalability, key efficiency, and link utilization through innovative metrics and mechanisms.

Contribution

It presents a novel QoS framework and routing protocol tailored for QKD networks, addressing practical challenges and enhancing network performance.

Findings

Effective routing based on geographical and link state metrics

Reduced cryptographic key consumption

Validated through simulation results

Abstract

In recent years, noticeable progress has been made in the development of quantum equipment, reflected through the number of successful demonstrations of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology. Although they showcase the great achievements of QKD, many practical difficulties still need to be resolved. Inspired by the significant similarity between mobile ad-hoc networks and QKD technology, we propose a novel quality of service (QoS) model including new metrics for determining the states of public and quantum channels as well as a comprehensive metric of the QKD link. We also propose a novel routing protocol to achieve high-level scalability and minimize consumption of cryptographic keys. Given the limited mobility of nodes in QKD networks, our routing protocol uses the geographical distance and calculated link states to determine the optimal route. It also benefits from a caching mechanism and detection of returning loops to provide effective forwarding while minimizing key consumption and achieving the desired utilization of network links. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the validity and accuracy of the proposed solutions.