Q2NS Demo: A Quantum Network Simulator Based on ns-3
Abstract
Q2NS is an open-source quantum network simulator built on ns-3, the de facto standard for classical network simulation. By inheriting ns-3's mature classical stack and event-driven execution model, Q2NS enables faithful co-simulation of quantum-network dynamics and classical signaling, a core requirement for the functioning of any quantum network. Its modular architecture is designed for extensibility, with pluggable quantum-state backends (state-vector, density matrix, stabilizer) and a clean separation between network control and node-level operations. Q2NS comes with a quantum network visualizer Q2NSViz, supporting interactive inspection of both physical- and entanglement-induced connectivity graphs, helping users interpret protocol behavior and entanglement manipulation processes. We present a demonstration of Q2NS, highlighting its ability to capture and simulate the coexistence of quantum and classical communication. The proposed demonstration presents quantum communication scenarios of increasing complexity: from entanglement distribution basics to multipartite graph-state manipulation, complemented by pre-loaded examples in Q2NSViz that require no prior quantum communication or coding experience.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2604.02112,
title = {Q2NS Demo: A Quantum Network Simulator Based on ns-3},
author = {Francesco Mazza and Adam Pearson and Marcello Caleffi and Angela Sara Cacciapuoti},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2604.02112},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
This work has been funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe ERC-CoG grant QNattyNet, n.101169850. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Council Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them