Towards a Quantum-classical Augmented Network

TL;DR

This paper proposes a hybrid quantum-classical network protocol that integrates quantum payloads into classical HTTP packets, enabling efficient and secure quantum communication with privacy-aware classification models.

Contribution

It introduces a novel protocol modification to carry quantum data within classical network packets and demonstrates privacy classification models to optimize quantum resource use.

Findings

Effective classification of privacy labels using logistic regression, CNN, LSTM, and BiLSTM.

Reduced quantum resource utilization through privacy-aware packet division.

Foundation for scalable, secure quantum-classical network integration.

Abstract

In the past decade, several small-scale quantum key distribution networks have been established. However, the deployment of large-scale quantum networks depends on the development of quantum repeaters, quantum channels, quantum memories, and quantum network protocols. To improve the security of existing networks and adopt currently feasible quantum technologies, the next step is to augment classical networks with quantum devices, properties, and phenomena. To achieve this, we propose a change in the structure of the HTTP protocol such that it can carry both quantum and classical payload. This work lays the foundation for dividing one single network packet into classical and quantum payloads depending on the privacy needs. We implement logistic regression, CNN, LSTM, and BiLSTM models to classify the privacy label for outgoing communications. This enables reduced utilization of quantum resources allowing for a more efficient secure quantum network design. Experimental results using the proposed methods are presented.