A Tutorial on Reliable Quantum Networks
Maria Caterina D'Aloia, Christian Esposito · 2024
Quantum networks use quantum communication protocols to transmit quantum information (or qubits) between distant quantum processors. This is needed to cope with the limitation regarding available and usable qubits characterizing available quantum processors and realize distributed quantum computing. Unlike classical networks, where information is duplicated and directly transmitted, quantum bits cannot be directly transmitted, so these networks leverage quantum mechanical principles, like entanglement, to enable secure and potentially faster communication. Current quantum networks are primarily research prototypes, and significant engineering challenges remain; reliability is among them. This paper is a tutorial on reliability issues and a simulation of the primary faults in quantum networks envisioned in the current network infrastructures.