Towards a Quantum Internet

The internet - a vast network connecting devices anywhere on earth using long-range classical communication - has had a revolutionary impact on our world. The vision of a Quantum Internet is to provide fundamentally new internet technology by enabling quantum communication between any two points on earth. Such a Quantum Internet will – in synergy with the ‘classical’ internet that we have today - connect quantum processors in order to achieve unparalleled capabilities that are provably impossible using classical communication.

Given present progress in research and development, the first small scale quantum networks are expected in the coming year. The objective of this workshop is to bring together researchers from physics, computer science and engineering in order to define a roadmap of common research goals:

User Demands

Discussion on what quantum Internet hardware and control software actually needs to deliver, such as, how we can perform:

·         Identification of use cases and software embedding of quantum network applications.

·         Determination of parameter requirements for desired protocols (e.g. quality of qubits, measurements and quantum operations) to satisfy such end-user demands.

Real-World Constraints: hardware and software development

Many research challenges exist in pushing forward the development of Quantum Internet technology. We will discuss how one can achieve:

·         Demonstration of key enabling technologies for high-rate quantum repeaters:

o   Quantum memories for non-classical light with sufficiently long storage time, efficiency, and multi-mode capability.

o   Long-distance entanglement between a photon and a quantum memory, as well as multiplexed, heralded and scalable entanglement between remote quantum memories.

·         Demonstration of a quantum network stack providing the basis for scalable control of a Quantum Internet.

·         Realization of multi-node networks linking few-qubit quantum processors.

·         Demonstration of a universal software stack for a Quantum Internet that will make this network fully programmable.

·         Realize an interfacing between high-speed repeater platforms and end nodes.

An important target in order to gain clarity on the above will be discussion in defining joint benchmarks with which one can compare experimental implementations.