LYRA : A Modular path towards Industrialised and Scalable Quantum Networking

可靠的消息来源估计，在容错时代，量子计算（QC）市场每年的市场价值将达到900亿至1700亿美元。越来越多的人认为，为了达到商业可行性，需要量子网络（QN）来扩展QC -增加量子比特的数量和质量。因此，QN的及时开发将为QC的广泛采用及其可能带来的变革性好处打开大门。最终，量子网络对质量控制的重要性将不亚于经典网络对高性能和云计算的重要性。目前，量子网络的进步是在高度受控的实验室环境中进行的学术驱动实验。虽然对于提高最先进的性能指标至关重要，但它们忽略了允许在更多工业和类似IT的环境中进行实际部署的关键因素，在那里，他们最终需要弹性地和大规模地运行。LYRA项目加速了通往可部署和可扩展量子网络的道路，并降低了风险，特别是在数据中互连量子计算节点的用例-该项目的重点是在量子网络技术的包装和可用性方面取得务实和可证明的改进，同时仍保持适当的高水平性能。我们将提供世界上第一个可部署的量子网络单元原型，量子计算机集群的网络核心。思科将成为该项目的最终用户。作为世界领先的传统网络供应商，思科在提供可扩展、弹性和高性能的数据中心服务方面拥有无与伦比的经验。思科已承诺为关键系统需求做出贡献，并 ** 承保关键系统需求 **，并 ** 评估最终交付成果 **，可能在英国工厂进行。此外，为了证明产品与市场的契合度，并确保构建可扩展和相关的路线图，Nu Quantum组建了客户需求理事会（CRC）。5方CRC代表领先的QC供应商和全球数据中心技术提供商。

Credible sources estimate the Quantum Computing (QC) market will have a market value of $90-$170B annually in a Fault Tolerant era. It is increasingly accepted that to reach commercial viability, Quantum Networks (QNs), will be needed to scale QC - increasing the number and quality of qubits. The timely development of QNs will thus gate the widespread adoption of QC and the transformative benefits it can bring. Ultimately QNs will be as essential to QC as classical networking is to High Performance and Cloud computing.Currently, advancements in Quantum Networking are academically driven experiments in highly controlled laboratory environments. While essential to improving state-of-the-art performance metrics, they neglect crucial factors that will allow for real-world deployment in more industrial and IT-like environments, where they will ultimately need to operate _resiliently_ and at _large scale_.Project LYRA accelerates and de-risks the path to _deployable_ and _scalable_ quantum-networking specifically for the use-case of interconnecting Quantum Computing nodes in data-centres.The project concentrates on _pragmatic_ and _demonstrable_ improvements in the _packaging_ and _usability_ of quantum networking technologies, while still maintaining appropriately high levels of performance. We will deliver a world-first deployable Quantum Networking Unit prototype, the networking heart of a Quantum Computer Cluster.Cisco will be the End User for this project. As the world's leading supplier of classical networking, Cisco has unparalleled experience in delivering scalable, resilient and performant data-centre services. Cisco have committed to contribute to, and **underwrite, key system requirements** and **evaluate final deliverables**, potentially at a UK facility.Additionally, to demonstrate product-market fit and to ensure the construction of an extensible & relevant roadmap, Nu Quantum have assembled a Customer Requirements Council (CRC). The 5-party CRC represents leading QC vendors and global data-centre technology providers.