Collaborative Research: CNS Core: Medium: Design and Analysis of Quantum Networks for Entanglement Distribution

量子信息处理的最新进展，如量子密钥分发(QKD)，已经在部署中，以确保端到端的安全通信。这在今天尤其重要，因为量子计算对目前基于互联网的加密技术(如RSA)构成了风险。与此同时，大量新兴的基于量子信息的技术有望给各自的应用领域带来革命性的变化。其中包括应用于计量和科学发现的超高精度分布式传感(例如，LIGO)，比传统系统可能实现的更高速率的深空光通信，以及对大数据有影响的搜索多项式加速。这些应用中的大多数都是通过用户对和用户组之间的高速分布式共享量子纠缠来实现的。该项目的目标是以量子网络的形式开发一个分布式基础设施，以实现可靠的、大规模的量子纠缠分发。这一方向的进步将推动量子计算的进步，就像互联网推动计算征服当代经济和社会的大多数方面一样。该项目的目标是全面研究量子网络的设计和运行，将物理层设备噪声模型与更高层网络协议的底层开发相结合。它渴望弥合主要参与开发量子通信协议的量子信息和物理界与在实际计算机和通信网络设计和分析方面拥有数十年经验的网络界之间的智力鸿沟。拟议的研究将：(A)告知设备需求和网络应用要求压低的规格；以及(B)帮助开发针对设备质量指标(如量子内存相干时间和探测器过量噪声)优化的网络路由和资源分配协议。该项目将最终为一个全新的网络协议家族开发新的工具和算法，以解决设置的问题和没有直接经典类似的资源限制。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Recent advances in quantum information processing like quantum key distribution (QKD) are already in deployment ensuring secure end-to-end communication. This is especially important today, because of the risk posed by quantum computing to current Internet-based encryption technology such as RSA. At the same time there is a multitude of emerging quantum information based technologies with a high promise of revolutionizing their respective areas of application. These include ultra-high-precision distributed sensing with applications to metrology and science discovery (e.g., LIGO), much higher-rate deep space optical communications than possible with conventional systems, and polynomial speedups on search with implications to big data. Most of these applications are enabled by high-rate distributed shared quantum entanglement between pairs and groups of users. The goal of this project is to develop a distributed infrastructure in the form of a quantum network to enable reliable, large scale quantum entanglement distribution. Progress in that direction will catalyze quantum computing advances in the same way the Internet boosted computing to conquer most aspects of contemporary economy and society.The goal of the project is the fully-informed study of the design and operation of quantum networks combining physical-layer device noise models with the ground-up development of higher-layer network protocols. It aspires to bridge the intellectual gap between the quantum information and physics communities who are the ones primarily involved in developing quantum communication protocols, and the networking community who have decades of experience in the design and analysis of practical computer and communication networks. The proposed research will both: (a) inform device needs and specifications pushed down by network application requirements; and (b) help develop network routing and resource allocation protocols optimized for device quality metrics, such as quantum memory coherence times and detector excess noise. The project will culminate in the development of new tools and algorithms for a completely new family of networking protocols for a problem set up and resource constraints that have no immediate classical analogues.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.