Scalable entanglement distribution using encoded hybrid repeater chains
Abstract
Long-distance entanglement distribution requires error correction protocols to compensate for qubit decoherence in quantum memories and noise introduced during entanglement swapping. We argue that repeater chains with error-correction capabilities should exploit more than one physical platform, combining the complementary strengths of different quantum memory technologies into a single hybrid repeater architecture. An important constituent of such an architecture is a hybrid repeater which combines type-1 memories, characterized by fast entanglement generation rates and suitability for multiplexing, and type-2 memories that offer long coherence times and low two-qubit gate error rates. Taking the resource-intensive nature of hybrid nodes into account, we propose and analyze repeater chains in which only a subset of nodes need to be hybrid, while the remaining nodes are simpler first-generation repeaters with no error-correction capability. Through detailed Monte Carlo simulations of fault-tolerant encoded repeater chain protocols based on the three-qubit phase-flip repetition code, the $[[7,1,3]]$ Steane code, and the $[[9,1,3]]$ Shor code, we demonstrate that these hybrid architectures outperform pure architectures based on a single memory platform in terms of end-to-end entanglement distribution rate. In our study we develop a full circuit-level noise model of our architectures and examine the impact of an imperfect interface between the two platforms on our hybrid architecture. We also develop a modified version of the swap-as-soon-as-possible policy with multiplexing, more suited to our architecture where some nodes perform error-correction while others do not. This modified policy significantly reduces the information storage time in memory qubits relative to the previously considered swap policies in encoded repeater chains.
Related
- A scalable entanglement distribution framework for hybrid quantum networks
- Transduction-Enabled Superconducting Quantum Repeater: Toward Deterministic Entanglement Distribution with High-Fidelity Gates
- Scalable Quantum Key Distribution via GHZ Entanglement and Qubit Reuse
- Entanglement Swapping Scheduling for Quantum Repeater Chains under Decoherence during Classical Communications
- Topology-Dependent Enhancement of Entanglement Extraction in Repeater Graph States
BibTeX
@misc{haldar2026scalable,
title = {{Scalable entanglement distribution using encoded hybrid repeater chains}},
author = {Stav Haldar and Saikat Guha and Don Towsley and Filip Rozpędek},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.19783},
eprint = {2609.19783},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.19783},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Scalable entanglement distribution using encoded hybrid repeater chains
AU - Stav Haldar
AU - Saikat Guha
AU - Don Towsley
AU - Filip Rozpędek
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/17
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.19783
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.19783
AB - Long-distance entanglement distribution requires error correction protocols to compensate for qubit decoherence in quantum memories and noise introduced during entanglement swapping. We argue that repeater chains with error-correction capabilities should exploit more than one physical platform, combining the complementary strengths of different quantum memory technologies into a single hybrid repeater architecture. An important constituent of such an architecture is a hybrid repeater which combines type-1 memories, characterized by fast entanglement generation rates and suitability for multiplexing, and type-2 memories that offer long coherence times and low two-qubit gate error rates. Taking the resource-intensive nature of hybrid nodes into account, we propose and analyze repeater chains in which only a subset of nodes need to be hybrid, while the remaining nodes are simpler first-generation repeaters with no error-correction capability. Through detailed Monte Carlo simulations of fault-tolerant encoded repeater chain protocols based on the three-qubit phase-flip repetition code, the $[[7,1,3]]$ Steane code, and the $[[9,1,3]]$ Shor code, we demonstrate that these hybrid architectures outperform pure architectures based on a single memory platform in terms of end-to-end entanglement distribution rate. In our study we develop a full circuit-level noise model of our architectures and examine the impact of an imperfect interface between the two platforms on our hybrid architecture. We also develop a modified version of the swap-as-soon-as-possible policy with multiplexing, more suited to our architecture where some nodes perform error-correction while others do not. This modified policy significantly reduces the information storage time in memory qubits relative to the previously considered swap policies in encoded repeater chains.
ER -