Winning entry offers insight on distributing graph states

Quantum Internet Alliance (QIA) has concluded the Quantum Internet Application Challenge 2024 and selected “Graph State Generation” as the most impressive submission for this round.

The Challenge, a QIA initiative encouraging quantum enthusiasts to take part in shaping the future of the quantum internet, was launched in 2023 to welcome pioneering application ideas that harness the potential of quantum networks.

The winning submission – Graph State Generation – was from Roberto Navarro, Bachelor’s student in Licenciatura en Física y Matemáticas at the Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico.

About Graph State Generation: A quantum resource for network protocols

Graph State Generation is a quantum internet application written in SquidASM for distributing graph states, a type of entangled state, across arbitrary network topologies. “It could help to build a foundation for efficient entanglement distribution” explains Roberto.

The jury was impressed by the code quality of the submission and particularly liked that the code was nicely commented on and described.

About the developer

Roberto Navarro is currently enrolled in the Bachelor’s Degree in Physics and Mathematics at the Instituto Politécnico Nacional in Mexico City, Mexico. He is also one of the founders and main organizer of the Quantum Computing Club in Mexico’s two biggest universities.

The inspiration for his submission came from reading about the research of Dr. Hans J. Briegel’s and Dr. Wolfgang Dür’s groups at the University of Innsbruck, Austria.

”I liked the way the graph states are described for their simplicity, visual structure, and the elegant design they enable in quantum networks,” says Roberto. “I wanted to work on something that incorporates them. So, the first step was just to create them!”

The hardest part for him was figuring out how to make things work in a network setting, where different nodes operate independently, without knowing what everyone else is doing unless communication is carefully coordinated.

“I had no experience in this area, so it was a lot of trial and error. But in the end, it challenged me to find the best way to solve this,” adds Roberto.

Beyond the technical aspects, he also emphasized the importance of clear communication in scientific and technical work.

“I think one could have even the most groundbreaking and sophisticated ideas, but without a proper way to communicate them, their benefit is always going to be very limited. So, in this case, having clean, understandable, and well-documented code is a high priority,” he explains.

As part of winning the Challenge, Roberto will choose an internship at one of the following QIA participating partners:

• Quantum Communication and Cryptography group of Anna Pappa / TU Berlin

• Quantum Computer Science group of Stephanie Wehner / TU Delft

• Quantum Software Lab of Michele Amoretti / University of Parma

• LIP6 Quantum Information Team of Damian Markham / Sorbonne Université

“I hope the internship will give me the chance to explore quantum network architectures and their quantum error correction strategies, and that it will open many opportunities for my Master’s!” Roberto emphasizes.

Notable submissions

In addition to the winning entry, several other impressive submissions showcased innovative ideas for quantum network applications. Among them were:

• Clock Synchronization – A protocol designed to enhance timekeeping precision across quantum networks.

• Quantum Energy Teleportation – A concept leveraging quantum entanglement to transfer energy between distant nodes without direct physical interaction.

• Quantegrity E-Voting Proof-of-Concept – A quantum-based voting system ensuring security, integrity, and privacy in elections.

The organizing team received over 100 registrations for the Challenge, with students, researchers, and enthusiasts from all over the world expressing interest in this initiative.

A group of representatives from TU Delft, SURF, Uni Parma, Sorbonne, TU Berlin served as the jury who meticulously assessed each submission based on the originality of the idea, quality of documentation, real-world value, scientific rigor, sophistication of software implementation, and quality of programming.

The Challenge will open again in 2025 to welcome a new batch of innovative quantum internet application ideas from the community, with the opportunity for the winning entry to receive an internship or research visit.

Stay tuned for updates!