A Quantum Data Center Network Architecture

Quantum entanglement generation and distribution is key to the vision for a Quantum Internet. Existing research has focused on entanglement routing schemes and QR performance in a general network setting with strong physical layer assumptions. In reality, the required quantum memory and quantum repeater devices along with the control protocols for general quantum networks remain grand challenges in the foreseeable future. Main performance concerns at the networking layer include entanglement distribution rate and fidelity. We thereafter propose to focus more research efforts on the quantum data center network due to its structured topology and potential to support emerging distributed quantum computing applications. This paper presents a quantum data center (QDC) network architecture with novel switch architecture and protocols that feature locally buffered entanglement qubits and centralized on-demand entanglement generation and distribution. Queueing models for the switches and large-scale network simulation with the NetSquid quantum simulator demonstrate the high network throughput, scalability, and fidelity performance for the proposed QDC network architecture and protocol.