Tools for bringing Quantum Communication to Optical Networks

将量子通信引入光网络的工具

• 批准号: 341495-2012
• 负责人: Lutkenhaus, Norbert
• 金额: $ 3.06万
• 依托单位: University of Waterloo
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2015-01-01 至 2016-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=572274
• 关键词: Tools; bringing; Quantum; Communication; Optical

Quantum Communication uses quantum mechanics to solve communication tasks. Some of these tasks cannot be achieved by classical communication. The prominent example for this is Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) which creates secret key at distant locations, thus allowing provable secret communication. Other tasks can be solved more efficiently the quantum way. There are interesting applications in the literature that could run on an ideal quantum communication network. However, it is not known how to run most of the applications on the limited quantum-enabled communication networks that are available to us in the short and medium term. Optical Communication networks readily support quantum mechanical features, for example by using laser pulses. However, abstract protocols are formulated using an idealized quantum network that sends the generalization of classical bits, the qubits, while the practical optical communication networks use laser pulses, which form a restricted set of quantum signals. We will enlarge the range of applications that can be run on a quantum-enabled optical communication network. We will reveal the fundamental problems that arise in this adaptation to optical networks. This involves on one hand to identify what quantum mechanical effects are at the heart of the quantum advantage in abstract protocols, and on the other hand to analyze whether this effects can be exploited using the quantum mechanical signal structure that is accessible in practical optical network implementations. Knowing both sides, we will then develop general tools to match them. Such customized and optimized mapping of quantum protocols to available physical systems accelerates the possibility of their practical implementation, and enables more efficient use of available resources. The same approach led point-to-point QKD to high-speed implementations that successfully abandoned the quest to directly mimic the abstract qubit protocol. Understanding the necessary and sufficient conditions for adapting abstract qubit-inspired communication protocols to optical networks is an important step in assessing their eventual commercial viability.

量子通信使用量子力学来解决通信任务。这些任务中的一些不能通过传统的通信来实现。这方面的突出例子是量子密钥分发（QKD），它在遥远的位置创建密钥，从而允许可证明的秘密通信。其他任务可以通过量子方式更有效地解决。 在文献中有一些有趣的应用可以在理想的量子通信网络上运行。然而，目前还不知道如何在短期和中期内可供我们使用的有限的量子通信网络上运行大多数应用程序。 光通信网络很容易支持量子力学特征，例如通过使用激光脉冲。然而，抽象协议是使用理想化的量子网络来制定的，该网络发送经典比特的泛化，而实际的光通信网络使用激光脉冲，这形成了一组受限的量子信号。我们将扩大可以在量子光通信网络上运行的应用范围。 我们将揭示在这种适应光网络中出现的基本问题。 这一方面涉及到在抽象协议中确定量子优势的核心是什么量子力学效应，另一方面涉及到分析这种效应是否可以使用在实际光网络实现中可访问的量子力学信号结构来利用。了解了这两方面，我们将开发通用工具来匹配它们。 量子协议到可用物理系统的这种定制和优化映射加速了其实际实现的可能性，并能够更有效地使用可用资源。同样的方法导致点对点QKD的高速实现，成功地放弃了直接模仿抽象量子比特协议的追求。 理解使抽象量子比特启发的通信协议适应光网络的必要和充分条件是评估其最终商业可行性的重要一步。