Optimal Calibration of Quantum Network Links
Abstract
The reliable distribution of entanglement is essential for the effective operation of quantum networks. Due to fundamental differences between quantum and classical communication systems, it is necessary to develop specialised algorithms and protocols that also account for quantum-specific constraints. In this work, we focus on the issue of recalibration. As suggested by recent experimental studies, the process of local entanglement generation in a quantum link degrades over time due to environmental changes that have to be estimated and compensated via a fixed-duration calibration operation, during which the link is not available. Therefore, in such a quantum network, every link alternates between an activation period, during which it operates normally, and a calibration period, during which it cannot participate in the end-to-end entanglement distribution, thereby creating a trade-off between link quality (the initial fidelity of generated pairs, which decays during activation) and availability (the fraction of time the link is usable, which calibration reduces). We develop analytically a protocol for optimally assigning activation periods to each link in linear quantum repeater chains, subject to any general end-to-end fidelity requirements and local initial fidelity thresholds. Building on this foundation, we extend to general quantum networks, where multiple paths may cross at common links. To this, we propose a heuristic approach, evaluate it through simulations, and compare its performance with a benchmark, a numerical approach and theoretical bounds, confirming the analytical ordering of their performance.
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BibTeX
@misc{kumar2026optimal,
title = {{Optimal Calibration of Quantum Network Links}},
author = {Vinay Kumar and Claudio Cicconetti and Marco Conti and Andrea Passarella},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2606.18167},
eprint = {2606.18167},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.18167},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Optimal Calibration of Quantum Network Links
AU - Vinay Kumar
AU - Claudio Cicconetti
AU - Marco Conti
AU - Andrea Passarella
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/15
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2606.18167
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.18167
AB - The reliable distribution of entanglement is essential for the effective operation of quantum networks. Due to fundamental differences between quantum and classical communication systems, it is necessary to develop specialised algorithms and protocols that also account for quantum-specific constraints. In this work, we focus on the issue of recalibration. As suggested by recent experimental studies, the process of local entanglement generation in a quantum link degrades over time due to environmental changes that have to be estimated and compensated via a fixed-duration calibration operation, during which the link is not available. Therefore, in such a quantum network, every link alternates between an activation period, during which it operates normally, and a calibration period, during which it cannot participate in the end-to-end entanglement distribution, thereby creating a trade-off between link quality (the initial fidelity of generated pairs, which decays during activation) and availability (the fraction of time the link is usable, which calibration reduces). We develop analytically a protocol for optimally assigning activation periods to each link in linear quantum repeater chains, subject to any general end-to-end fidelity requirements and local initial fidelity thresholds. Building on this foundation, we extend to general quantum networks, where multiple paths may cross at common links. To this, we propose a heuristic approach, evaluate it through simulations, and compare its performance with a benchmark, a numerical approach and theoretical bounds, confirming the analytical ordering of their performance.
ER -