Optimal Entanglement Distribution using Satellite Based Quantum Networks

TL;DR

This paper develops an optimal scheduling framework for distributing quantum entanglement via satellite networks, improving long-distance quantum communication efficiency and providing a benchmark for policy performance evaluation.

Contribution

It formulates the satellite-to-ground entanglement distribution as an integer linear programming problem and offers an efficient solution method for specific scenarios.

Findings

Optimal scheduling policies maximize entanglement distribution rate.

The framework serves as a benchmark for other scheduling policies.

Efficient solutions are demonstrated for certain satellite network configurations.

Abstract

Recent technological advancements in satellite based quantum communication has made it a promising technology for realizing global scale quantum networks. Due to better loss distance scaling compared to ground based fiber communication, satellite quantum communication can distribute high quality quantum entanglements among ground stations that are geographically separated at very long distances. This work focuses on optimal distribution of bipartite entanglements to a set of pair of ground stations using a constellation of orbiting satellites. In particular, we characterize the optimal satellite-to-ground station transmission scheduling policy with respect to the aggregate entanglement distribution rate subject to various resource constraints at the satellites and ground stations. We cast the optimal transmission scheduling problem as an integer linear programming problem and solve it efficiently for some specific scenarios. Our framework can also be used as a benchmark tool to measure the performance of other potential transmission scheduling policies.