Abstract
The evolution of quantum networking requires architectures capable of dynamically reconfigurable entanglement distribution to meet diverse user needs and ensure tolerance against transmission disruptions. We introduce multihop quantum networks to improve network reach and resilience by enabling quantum communications across intermediate nodes, thus broadening network connectivity and increasing scalability. We present multihop two-qubit polarization-entanglement distribution within a quantum network at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory campus. Our system uses wavelength-selective switches for adaptive bandwidth management on a software-defined quantum network that integrates a quantum data plane with classical data and control planes, creating a flexible, reconfigurable mesh. Our network distributes entanglement across six nodes within three subnetworks, each located in a separate building, optimizing quantum state fidelity and transmission rate through adaptive resource management. Additionally, we demonstrate the network's resilience by implementing a link recovery approach that monitors and reroutes quantum resources to maintain service continuity despite link failures—paving the way for scalable and reliable quantum networking infrastructures.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 9016-9023 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Journal of Lightwave Technology |
| Volume | 43 |
| Issue number | 19 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2025 |
Funding
This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science through Advanced Scientific Computing Research Field Work Proposals under Grant ERKJ378, Grant ERKJ381, and Grant ERKJ353. The authors would like to thank B. J. Lawrie for sharing lab space and SNSPDs. The authors also thank C. E. Marvinney, I. Gallagher, and J. C. Chapman for helping with SNSPDs. This work was performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, operated by UT-Battelle for the U.S. Department of energy under contract no. DE-AC05-00OR22725. The authors would like to thank B. J. Lawrie for sharing lab space and SNSPDs. The authors also thank C. E. Marvinney, I. Gallagher, and J. C. Chapman for helping with SNSPDs. This work was performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, operated by UT-Battelle for the U.S. Department of energy under contract no. DE-AC05-00OR22725. Received 30 July 2024; revised 21 April 2025; accepted 13 June 2025. Date of publication 5 August 2025; date of current version 2 October 2025. This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science through Advanced Scientific Computing Research Field Work Proposals under Grant ERKJ378, Grant ERKJ381, and Grant ERKJ353. (Corresponding author: Muneer Alshowkan.) Muneer Alshowkan, Hsuan-Hao Lu, and Nicholas A. Peters are with the Quantum Information Science Section, Computational Sciences and Engineering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak RidgeTN 37831 USA (e-mail: [email protected]).
Keywords
- Quantum networks
- entanglement
- flex-grid
- multihop
- polarization
- software-defined networks