Quantum network utility: A framework for benchmarking quantum networks

Yuan Lee, Wenhan Dai, Don Towsley and Dirk Englund ()
Additional contact information
Yuan Lee: b Research Laboratory of Electronics , Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge , MA 02139
Wenhan Dai: d Quantum Photonics Laboratory , Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge , MA 02139
Don Towsley: c College of Information and Computer Sciences , University of Massachusetts , Amherst , MA 01003
Dirk Englund: d Quantum Photonics Laboratory , Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge , MA 02139

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2024, vol. 121, issue 17, e2314103121

Abstract:

The central aim of quantum networks is to facilitate user connectivity via quantum channels, but there is an open need for benchmarking metrics to compare diverse quantum networks. Here, we propose a general framework for quantifying the performance of a quantum network by estimating the value created by connecting users through quantum channels. In this framework, we define the quantum network utility metric U QN to capture the social and economic value of quantum networks. The proposed framework accommodates a variety of applications from secure communications to distributed sensing. As a case study, we investigate the example of distributed quantum computing in detail. We determine the scaling laws of quantum network utility, which suggest that distributed edge quantum computing has more potential for success than its classical equivalent. We believe the proposed utility-based framework will serve as a foundation for guiding and assessing the development of quantum network technologies and designs.

Keywords: quantum networks; network utility; scaling laws (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nas:journl:v:121:y:2024:p:e2314103121

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