Abstract
In order to bring quantum networks into the real world, we would like to determine the requirements of quantum network protocols including the underlying quantum hardware. Because detailed architecture proposals are generally too complex for mathematical analysis, it is natural to employ numerical simulation. Here we introduce NetSquid, the NETwork Simulator for QUantum Information using Discrete events, a discrete-event based platform for simulating all aspects of quantum networks and modular quantum computing systems, ranging from the physical layer and its control plane up to the application level. We study several use cases to showcase NetSquid’s power, including detailed physical layer simulations of repeater chains based on nitrogen vacancy centres in diamond as well as atomic ensembles. We also study the control plane of a quantum switch beyond its analytically known regime, and showcase NetSquid’s ability to investigate large networks by simulating entanglement distribution over a chain of up to one thousand nodes.
Highlights
In order to bring quantum networks into the real world, we would like to determine the requirements of quantum network protocols including the underlying quantum hardware
We demonstrate the power of this modularity by simulating point-topoint remote-entanglement generation based on either of two types of atomic-ensemble based quantum memories: atomic frequency combs (AFC)[72] and electronically induced transparency (EIT)[73,74] memories
In this work we have presented our design of a modular software framework for simulating scalable quantum networks and accurately modelling the non-idealities of real world physical hardware, providing us with a design tool for future quantum networks
Summary
In order to bring quantum networks into the real world, we would like to determine the requirements of quantum network protocols including the underlying quantum hardware. Quantum networks cannot be built from quantum hardware alone; in order to scale they need a tightly integrated classical control plane, i.e. protocols responsible for orchestrating quantum network devices to bring entanglement to users. Fundamental differences between quantum and classical information demand an entirely new network stack in order to create entanglement, and run useful applications on future quantum networks[39,40,41,42,43,44]. The design of such a control stack is made challenging by numerous technological limitations of quantum devices. While greatly informative, setting up adhoc simulations for each possible networking scenario to a level of detail that might allow the determination of more precise requirements is cumbersome, and does not straightforwardly lend itself to extensive explorations of new possibilities
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