Dynamic Time-Division Multiple Access in Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum Networks

Quantum networks are networks composed of quantum processors that facilitate the exchange of information in the form of quantum bits, also called qubits. Qubits observe a physical phenomenon known as entanglement that enables the transmission of quantum information over long distances as well as the realization of novel protocols and applications that are impossible in classical networks such as the Internet. Due to the limitations of state of the art Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) devices, the establishment of entanglement over multi-hop networks demands strict coordination among the network nodes that connect two hosts. The delivery of entanglement in multi-hop quantum networks is further complicated when the network must support Quality of Service requirements for multiple users at the same time. The main challenges are ensuring that connected quantum processors agree when to establish entanglement with their neighbors and that processors use the correct pieces of entanglement to connect source/destination pairs. In this thesis, we propose a novel dynamic time-division multiple access (TDMA) method for multiplexing network resources used to connect multiple users in quantum networks. We investigate the behavior of scheduling heuristics in constructing the TDMA schedules and the effects of resource allocation on network performance. We additionally propose a novel scheduling problem and heuristic based on limited preemption that improves achievable network throughput in the case that devices may tolerate interruptions during connection of users.