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Simulation of fidelity in entanglement-based networks with repeater chains

David Pérez Castro, Ana Fernández Vilas, Manuel Fernández-Veiga, Mateo Blanco Rodríguez, Rebeca P. Díaz Redondo

TL;DR

This work addresses end-to-end fidelity in entanglement-based quantum networks with repeater chains and quantum switches by implementing a NetSquid-based EDN simulation framework that models memory registers, depolarization, and entanglement swapping with purification. The authors compare a multi-hop repeater chain to a two-hop network with memory-rich switches, using fidelity as the routing metric and demonstrating how purification (DEJMPS) and memory resources influence performance. Key contributions include an extensible fidelity-aware simulation platform, detailed case studies, and insights into resource tradeoffs between memory capacity, purification rounds, and achievable end-to-end fidelity. The framework provides a practical, scalable tool for rapid prototyping and design optimization of quantum networks under realistic noise assumptions.

Abstract

We implement a simulation environment on top of NetSquid that is specifically designed for estimating the end-to-end fidelity across a path of quantum repeaters or quantum switches. The switch model includes several generalizations which are not currently available in other tools, and are useful for gaining insight into practical and realistic quantum network engineering problems: an arbitrary number of memory registers at the switches, simplicity in including entanglement distillation mechanisms, arbitrary switching topologies, and more accurate models for the depolarization noise. An illustrative case study is presented, namely a comparison in terms of performance between a repeater chain where repeaters can only swap sequentially, and a single switch equipped with multiple memory registers, able to handle multiple swapping requests.

Simulation of fidelity in entanglement-based networks with repeater chains

TL;DR

This work addresses end-to-end fidelity in entanglement-based quantum networks with repeater chains and quantum switches by implementing a NetSquid-based EDN simulation framework that models memory registers, depolarization, and entanglement swapping with purification. The authors compare a multi-hop repeater chain to a two-hop network with memory-rich switches, using fidelity as the routing metric and demonstrating how purification (DEJMPS) and memory resources influence performance. Key contributions include an extensible fidelity-aware simulation platform, detailed case studies, and insights into resource tradeoffs between memory capacity, purification rounds, and achievable end-to-end fidelity. The framework provides a practical, scalable tool for rapid prototyping and design optimization of quantum networks under realistic noise assumptions.

Abstract

We implement a simulation environment on top of NetSquid that is specifically designed for estimating the end-to-end fidelity across a path of quantum repeaters or quantum switches. The switch model includes several generalizations which are not currently available in other tools, and are useful for gaining insight into practical and realistic quantum network engineering problems: an arbitrary number of memory registers at the switches, simplicity in including entanglement distillation mechanisms, arbitrary switching topologies, and more accurate models for the depolarization noise. An illustrative case study is presented, namely a comparison in terms of performance between a repeater chain where repeaters can only swap sequentially, and a single switch equipped with multiple memory registers, able to handle multiple swapping requests.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 14 sections, 10 equations, 9 figures, 3 algorithms.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Related Work
  3. Entanglement generation and distribution
  4. Entanglement Swapping
  5. Fidelity
  6. Purification
  7. Memory and channel Depolarization
  8. Model for Entanglement-based Networking
  9. Simulation framework
  10. Case study: analysis of a repeater chain
  11. Multi-hop with 4 memory positions
  12. 2-hop path with multiple memory positions
  13. Results
  14. Conclusions

Figures (9)

  • Figure 1: Intuition behind the quantum switch. Several nodes are displayed around it and three of them request a connection amongst them.
  • Figure 2: Overview of software architecture in NetSquid (extracted from Coopmans2021).
  • Figure 3: Scheme for the quantum communication scenario, including the main quantum mechanism, swapping and correct protocols and purification.
  • Figure 4: Implementation architecture of the relay network in NetSquid
  • Figure 5: Architecture discussed in Sec. \ref{['sec:qswitch']}. A two-hop network is established and the program arranges and identifies the fidelity of the $m=18$ entangled pairs for each of the connections and the route with the highest fidelity is selected to drive the communication.
  • ...and 4 more figures