A Review of Software for Designing and Operating Quantum Networks

TL;DR

The paper surveys software for designing and operating quantum networks using a three-plane architecture (infrastructure, logical, control/service). It maps essential functions—entanglement management, topology management, and resource scheduling—to current simulators, testbeds, and theoretical designs, revealing a gap between protocol proposals and real-world implementations. It emphasizes entanglement management as the most mature area while topology and resource management require standardized interfaces and robust testbeds. The authors propose a roadmap for scalable, software-defined architectures that can support hybrid, large-scale quantum networks and highlight the role of ongoing standardization efforts.

Abstract

Quantum network protocol development is crucial to realizing a production-grade network that can support distributed sensing, secure communication, and utility-scale quantum computation. However, the transition from laboratory demonstration to deployable networks requires software implementations of architectures and protocols tailored to the unique constraints of quantum systems. This paper reviews the current state of software implementations for quantum networks, organized around the three-plane abstraction of infrastructure, logical, and control/service planes. We cover software for both designing quantum network protocols (e.g., SeQUeNCe, QuISP, and NetSquid) and operating them, with a focus on essential control/service plane functions such as entanglement, topology, and resource management, in a proposed taxonomy. Our review highlights a persistent gap between theoretical protocol proposals and their realization in simulators or testbeds, particularly in dynamic topology and network management. We conclude by outlining open challenges and proposing a roadmap for developing scalable software architectures to enable hybrid, large-scale quantum networks.

Figures (5)

• Figure 1: Basic entanglement functions: (a) entanglement generation using the meet-in-the-middle (MIM) protocol, (b) quantum-repeater-enabled entanglement swapping, and (c) entanglement purification. BSA: Bell state analyzer, QR: quantum repeater.
• Figure 2: Architecture of a quantum network using a plane abstraction. The control and service plane include network functions such as entanglement, topology, and resource management (see Section \ref{['sec:sw-ops']}). Adapted under the terms of the CC-BY license chung_interqnet_2025. Copyright 2025, The Author(s).
• Figure 3: Architectures for the (a) SeQUeNCe, (b) QuISP, and (c) NetSquid quantum network simulators.
• Figure 4: Taxonomy of quantum network functions.
• Figure 5: Architecture of network functions and how they interface with the device and user. Protocol plugins allow extensibility of network function managers with novel functionality.