We use cookies to give you the best experience and to help improve our website
Find out what cookies we use and how to disable them
Standards Development
The document will cover, among others, the following aspects:
− Develop a forward-looking perspective on quantum communication technologies
− Discuss a general design of quantum communication network infrastructures. Depending on the level of development the work can be extended beyond the envisaged roadmap, in order to ensure harmonization.
− Analyse current concepts of end-to-end entanglement distribution and operational quantum repeaters and quantum memories to define building blocks, including enabling technologies, hardware and software.
− Compare the development stages and state-of-the-art of the different building blocks needed for deployment of both quantum communication networks themselves but also interfaces to envisaged applications.
− Identify critical milestones, research directions, and standardization activities needed for such networks.
− Identify feasibility studies and recommend steps for upgrading from current QKD network solutions to next-generation quantum communication infrastructures.
NOTE: The document is aligned with the deliverable D4.10 “Roadmap on standardization of general communication” of the task T4.5 “Quantum Communication Networks ” of the project StanQuTe
In general, the main objective of quantum communication and quantum communication networks is the transport of quantum states between distant locations. The future full scale quantum communication networks (aka the “Quantum Internet”) will send quantum states directly, provide entanglement and use end-to-end entanglement for teleportation of quantum states to serve different applications:
− Either the transmitted states are utilized directly, as input/output of distributed quantum devices, such as quantum sensors but most notably to connect distant quantum computers in order to combine their computational resources, or
− The transmitted states are generated and measured in dedicated modules. This can enable new protocols aiming to distil a secure key for cryptographic purposes. (The method is known as Quantum Key Distribution.)
Any quantum communication between end users must involve intermediaries, also because direct communication of quantum states without some adequate form of “amplification” is not feasible over longer distances due to losses, the fragile nature and decoherence of quantum states. Typically, photons will be used as a carrier to exchange quantum information over fibres and free-space channels between quantum memories. The carrier light signals will either be stored directly or the quantum information will be transformed to different quantum states (e.g. spin states of electrons) hosted by adequate quantum systems (e.g. atoms, ions, quantum dots, colour centres). The resulting infrastructures are then quantum communication networks.
Their overall architecture aims to enable end-to-end entanglement, which in turn is connected with the task of path routing through the network and the design of an adequate control and management mechanism.
The novel hardware to the addressed quantum communication networks is being currently developed at a low-TRL level in academic institutions and initially commercialized by few spin-off companies. Hardware developments motivated by quantum computation and quantum sensing could also potentially be directly or indirectly used to store quantum states. All mentioned stakeholders will benefit from the proposed document.
The purpose of this WI is to present an overview of the current and forthcoming developments of quantum-memory assisted quantum communication networks. It will extend some publications and roadmaps and aims to go beyond the recent analysis of QIRG (IRTF) and, specifically, define a roadmap to future standardization of quantum communication networks. The work will be coordinated with relevant SDOs, including QIRG (quantum internet), and ETSI and ITU-T (QKD). The planned architecture could be based on QKD network related regulations of ITU-T and ETSI.
The work will (among others) cover tasks foreseen in the EISMEA project StanQuTe, specifically task T4.5 “Quantum communication networks” and the deliverable D4.10 “Roadmap on standardization of general quantum communication”.
Required form fields are indicated by an asterisk (*) character.
You are now following this standard. Weekly digest emails will be sent to update you on the following activities:
You can manage your follow preferences from your Account. Please check your mailbox junk folder if you don't receive the weekly email.
You have successfully unsubscribed from weekly updates for this standard.
Comment by: