Towards Scalable Quantum Networks

TL;DR

This paper investigates the scalability challenges of quantum communication networks, analyzing how parameters like node count and separation distance affect network performance and proposing insights for designing large-scale quantum systems.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive simulation-based analysis of quantum network scalability, identifying key parameters and trade-offs crucial for advancing large-scale quantum communication.

Findings

Network parameters significantly impact scalability

Trade-offs exist between number of repeaters and entanglement quality

Decoherence effects limit communication quality at scale

Abstract

This paper presents a comprehensive study on the scalability challenges and opportunities in quantum communication networks, with the goal of determining parameters that impact networks most as well as the trends that appear when scaling networks. We design simulations of quantum networks comprised of router nodes made up of trapped-ion qubits, separated by quantum repeaters in the form of Bell State Measurement (BSM) nodes. Such networks hold the promise of securely sharing quantum information and enabling high-power distributed quantum computing. Despite the promises, quantum networks encounter scalability issues due to noise and operational errors. Through a modular approach, our research aims to surmount these challenges, focusing on effects from scaling node counts and separation distances while monitoring low-quality communication arising from decoherence effects. We aim to pinpoint the critical features within networks essential for advancing scalable, large-scale quantum computing systems. Our findings underscore the impact of several network parameters on scalability, highlighting a critical insight into the trade-offs between the number of repeaters and the quality of entanglement generated. This paper lays the groundwork for future explorations into optimized quantum network designs and protocols.