TELCO: Quasiparticle physics at network edges and inside the glass

Quasiparticles can in thought (and sometimes in practice) be connected to classical-looking fiber networks similar to existing large telecommunications networks. However, ripping out the backbone of the internet is impractical for time and cost reasons. Furthermore business continuity must be preserved for the billions of people reliant on existing connectivity. Adoption of quantum computing principals in networking should first be accomplished through expanding the scope of existing networks. Expanding the capabilities of existing networks is the primary focus where my personal research exists. What follows are some sections/topics that map directly onto traditional telecom fiber technologies. 

Topics/sections that map well onto traditional fiber networks

These are all things that could sit on an existing fiber telco-style network, either at endpoints, amplifiers, or using the fiber itself:

  1. Phonon-based effects in installed fiber

    • Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) and Brillouin–Mandelstam scattering in standard SMF-28 as “phonon quasiparticles” coupling to telecom photons. LiveScience

    • Using these for sensing, tamper detection, or quantum transduction.

  2. Photon–phonon entanglement in telecom waveguides

    • Entangling photons with guided acoustic phonons using Brillouin-type interactions in integrated waveguides, compatible with telecom bands. EurekAlert!

  3. Magnon/phonon-based quantum transducers at metro/core nodes

    • Chip-scale magnon–phonon–photon transducers that sit next to existing DWDM gear in central offices, converting microwave-qubit states into telecom photons. NIH PMC

  4. Telecom-band quasiparticle qubits at the endpoints

    • Erbium-based molecular or rare-earth qubits that natively emit/absorb at C-band wavelengths used in DWDM. LiveScience

  5. Hybrid classical–quantum overlay on existing fiber

    • Using the existing fiber plant as a hybrid classical/quantum network rather than building dedicated “quantum fiber”. arXiv

    • Q-Chip-style solutions that let quantum signals coexist with IP over Verizon-type metro rings. LiveScience

  6. Quasiparticle-enhanced monitoring and security of fiber plant

    • Using phonon and Brillouin spectra as a sort of “quasiparticle IDS” for fiber tapping, bending, or backhoe-level events.

  7. Network-level modeling of quasiparticle-induced noise & mitigation

    • How phonon/magnon interactions set limits on quantum channel capacity over installed fiber, and how to engineer around it.

Everything above is framed so that a telecom operator could, in principle, run pilots without replacing their entire network. This works as a feature enhancement on existing fiber which doesn't jeopardize or impede existing operations and business models. 



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