Towards a reliable quantum network architecture

Quantum networks enable users to successfully execute applications on their quantum end nodes. A network enabling the execution of arbitrary quantum network applications must respond to user demands by mediating the generation of packets of entanglement between end nodes. A basic performance requirement is the reliability of meeting accepted user demands on time: the network must successfully meet accepted user demands with a known probability, continue to operate correctly under variable amounts of user demands per unit time, and ensure that any satisfied demand is met before its deadline. To date, no single quantum network architecture addresses each of these aspects of reliability. One of the key challenges in defining such an architecture is to accurately account for the execution time that the network must reserve to meet accepted demands.

In this talk, we evaluate the performance of a quantum network architecture based on the above criteria of reliability. The architecture that we evaluate builds upon that presented by Beauchamp et al. in “A Modular Quantum Network Architecture for Integrating Network Scheduling with Local Program Execution”.