Noncooperative Quantum Networks
Quantum Physics
2025-12-19 v1 Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
Abstract
Existing protocols for quantum communication networks usually assume an initial allocation of quantum entanglement resources, which are then manipulated through local operations and classical communication (LOCC) to establish high-fidelity entanglement between distant parties. It is generally held that the resulting fidelity would increase monotonically with the entanglement budget. Here, we show that for noncooperative LOCC protocols, the resulting fidelity may decrease as more entanglement is added to a network with non-pure states. This effect results from a quantum analog of selfish routing and constitutes a potential obstacle to the optimal use of resources in large quantum networks.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2512.15884,
title = {Noncooperative Quantum Networks},
author = {Yanxuan Shao and Jannik L. Wyss and Don Towsley and Adilson E. Motter},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2512.15884},
year = {2025}
}