Efficient Entanglement Routing for Satellite-Aerial-Terrestrial Quantum Networks

2024-09-20

International Conference on Computer Communications and Networks

AI Summary

This paper addresses the challenge of establishing high-fidelity end-to-end entanglement across multi-hop satellite–air–terrestrial quantum networks (SATQNs) for 6G space-air-ground integrated quantum infrastructure. The objective is to maximize network throughput by jointly optimizing path selection and entanglement generation rate (PS-EGR), while accounting for quantum fidelity degradation and heterogeneous, time-varying link dynamics. Method: We propose the first PS-EGR joint optimization framework, formulated as a mixed-integer linear program (MILP) incorporating fidelity decay models and dynamic link constraints. To tackle its NP-hard nature, we design an efficient Benders decomposition-based algorithm that decomposes the problem into master and subproblems solved iteratively. Results: Numerical experiments demonstrate that our approach significantly improves both throughput and average entanglement fidelity. It exhibits strong robustness against dynamic link failures and quantum noise, while maintaining scalability under large-scale network deployments.

Technology Category

• Search and Optimization: Mixed Discrete/Continuous Search
• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Optimization of Spatio-temporal Systems
• Machine Learning: Quantum Machine Learning

Application Category

• Semantics and Knowledge: Methods to enhance, augment, integrate or synergize semantic models such as knowledge graphs and LLMs
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Incentives in network design for Web infrastructures and ecosystems
• Graph Algorithms and Modeling for the Web: Foundation models and LLMs for Web-related graphs

Abstract

In the era of 6G and beyond, space-aerial-terrestrial quantum networks (SATQNs) are poised to advance the development of a global-scale quantum Internet. These networks leverage free space optical satellite and aerial quantum networks to complement optical fiber-based terrestrial quantum networks to enable the distribution of high-fidelity quantum entanglement over long distances. However, establishing multi-hop end-to-end quantum entanglement remains highly challenging, not only due to time-varying link conditions and structural heterogeneity inherent in SATQNs, but also because noise in quantum channels and imperfections in quantum operations can degrade the quality of entanglement. To address this challenge, we formulate an optimization problem that maximizes SATQN throughput by jointly optimizing routing path selection and entanglement generation rates (PS-EGR) while ensuring high entanglement fidelity. The resulting problem is a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) formulation, which is NP-hard. We propose a Benders’ decomposition (BD)-based approach to solve this problem efficiently. Specifically, the MILP is decomposed into a master problem for binary routing path selection and a subproblem for continuous entanglement generation rate optimization. Numerical results validate the effectiveness of the proposed PS-EGR scheme, offering critical insights into the optimization and deployment of SATQNs.

Problem

• Optimizing entanglement routing in satellite-aerial-terrestrial quantum networks
• Maximizing quantum network throughput through path selection
• Solving intractable MILP problem with efficient decomposition algorithm

Innovation

• Benders decomposition for MILP optimization
• Joint path selection and entanglement rate optimization
• Satellite-aerial-terrestrial quantum network routing