Towards Quantum-Native Communication Systems: State-of-the-Art, Trends, and Challenges

TL;DR

This work advocates a quantum-by-design paradigm to integrate quantum communications into next-generation networks, surveying QD-MIMO, QD-NOMA, QSDC/QSIC, and quantum AI within a system-wide context. It develops a cross-layer, multi-band perspective, covering native PHY techniques, MAC/upper-layer issues, routing, and sensing, while providing a rigorous treatment of quantum channel models and capacities. The paper identifies critical gaps such as extending entanglement coherence, THz quantum-device maturity, and robust channel estimation, and offers a roadmap toward quantum-native, secure, high-capacity Qinternet-enabled architectures. Its synthesis of theory, hardware considerations, standards, and commercial landscape highlights the potential for quantum technologies to transform security, performance, and sensing in future communications while outlining concrete challenges for practical deployment.

Abstract

The potential synergy between quantum communications and future wireless communication systems is explored. By proposing a quantum-native or quantum-by-design philosophy, the survey examines technologies such as quantumdomain (QD) multi-input multi-output, QD non-orthogonal multiple access, quantum secure direct communication, QD resource allocation, QD routing, and QD artificial intelligence. The recent research advances in these areas are summarized. Given the behavior of photonic and particle-like Terahertz (THz) systems, a comprehensive system-oriented perspective is adopted to assess the feasibility of using quantum communications in future systems. This survey also reviews quantum optimization algorithms and quantum neural networks to explore the potential integration of quantum communication and quantum computing in future systems. Additionally, the current status of quantum sensing, quantum radar, and quantum timing is briefly reviewed in support of future applications. The associated research gaps and future directions are identified, including extending the entanglement coherence time, developing THz quantum communications devices, addressing challenges in channel estimation and tracking, and establishing the theoretical bounds and performance trade-offs of quantum communication, computing, and sensing. This survey offers a unique perspective on the potential for quantum communications to revolutionize future systems and pave the way for even more advanced technologies.

Figures (27)

• Figure 1: Quantum communication boosts communication development and evolves to the future. In future communication systems, quantum communication can play an increasingly important role. In the future, the communication network can evolve into a quantum network to achieve a high degree of unity of the wave-particle duality physical law in the communication system. And with the development of classical and quantum communications, the deep integration of these two systems will be realized in the future, and finally, the Qinternet. In this figure, $E = h\nu$, $P = {h \mathord{\left/ {\newline} \right. c \nulldelimiterspace} \lambda }$, where $E$ represents energy, $P$ represents momentum, $h$ is the Planck's constant, $\nu$ denotes frequency, and $\lambda$ denotes wavelength.
• Figure 2: Future space-air-ground-sea integrated secure communication network model. The future full-band communication network will cover different interface media, such as optical fiber, THz, microwave and mmWave, laser and VLC, X-band and Ku/Ka-band, L-band and C-band. They will provide the security, connectivity, reliability, and throughput needed for future communication systems 952481487604019247451.
• Figure 3: The outline of this survey.
• Figure 4: Bloch sphere. Any point on the Bloch sphere represents a qubit, which can be represented by the angle parameters $\theta$ and $\gamma$. A qubit can be expressed as $\left| \psi \right\rangle = \alpha \left| 0 \right\rangle + \beta \left| 1 \right\rangle$, where $\alpha = \cos \frac{\theta }{2}$, and $\beta = {e^{i\gamma }}\sin \frac{\theta }{2}$nielsen2002quantum.
• Figure 5: Schematic diagram of QSDC. Bob prepares a sequence of qubits and sends it to Alice through the quantum channel. Alice randomly selects a sequence (control qubits) from the received sequence for eavesdropping detection. After that, Alice sends the selected sequence position, measurement basis and measurement results to Bob through the classical channel, and Bob performs security evaluation bookchina.