Feasibility and Fiber Requirements for High-Rate Wireless Quantum Networks

Determine whether wireless free-space quantum communication can feasibly connect users at sufficiently high communication rates and establish what proportion of a large-scale quantum network must use fiber-based links to raise performance to the required level.

Background

The paper studies large-scale free-space quantum networks and hybrid architectures reinforced with a limited number of fiber-optic backbone links. Free-space channels are substantially impaired by diffraction, atmospheric extinction, turbulence, and beam wandering, while fiber links generally offer much higher capacities over comparable distances.

Against this background, the paper identifies an unresolved system-level question: whether wireless free-space links can support sufficiently high-rate quantum networking and how much fiber infrastructure is needed to compensate for their limitations. The paper analyzes network capacities and backbone-assisted performance, but does not establish a general feasibility threshold or determine the required fraction of fiber for a target network performance.