Universal Quantum Walk Control Plane for Quantum Networks

Abstract: Quantum networks are complex systems formed by the interaction among quantum processors through quantum channels. Analogous to classical computer networks, quantum networks allow for the distribution of quantum operations among quantum processors. In this work, we describe a Quantum Walk Control Protocol (QWCP) to perform distributed quantum operations in a quantum network. We consider a generalization of the discrete-time coined quantum walk model that accounts for the interaction between quantum walks in the network graph with quantum registers inside the network nodes. QWCP allows for the implementation of networked quantum services, such as distributed quantum computing and entanglement distribution, abstracting hardware implementation and the transmission of quantum information through channels. Multiple interacting quantum walks can be used to propagate entangled control signals across the network in parallel. We demonstrate how to use QWCP to perform distributed multi-qubit controlled gates, which shows the universality of the protocol for distributed quantum computing. Furthermore, we apply the QWCP to the task of entanglement distribution in a quantum network.