Distributing Graph States Over Arbitrary Quantum Networks

Abstract

Multipartite entangled states are great resources for quantum networks. In this work we study the distribution, or routing, of entangled states over fixed, but arbitrary, physical networks. Our simplified model represents each use of a quantum channel as the sharing of a Bell pair; local operations and classical communications are considered to be free. We introduce two protocols to distribute respectively Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) states and arbitrary graph states over arbitrary quantum networks. The GHZ states distribution protocol takes a single step and is optimal in terms of the number of Bell pairs used; the graph state distribution protocol uses at most twice as many Bell pairs and steps than the optimal routing protocol for the worst case scenario.