Shortcuts to quantum network routing

Understand

A quantum network promises to enable long distance quantum communication, and assemble small quantum devices into a large quantum computing cluster.

• Each network node can thereby be seen as a small few qubit quantum computer.
• Qubits can be sent over direct physical links connecting nearby quantum nodes, or by means of teleportation over pre-established entanglement amongst distant network nodes.
• Such pre-shared entanglement effectively forms a shortcut - a virtual quantum link - which can be used exactly once.