Quantum enabled hybrid fiber cable loop

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, determining that quantum entanglement be established between first and second nodes of a service provider network including a software defined network (SDN) that facilitates delivery of a service to a subscriber and identifying a path between the first node and the second node based on pre-provisioned information supplied by the SDN. A path length of the path is estimated based on the pre-provisioned information supplied by the SDN, and a repeater node is selected responsive to the path length exceeding a threshold, wherein the path includes a first segment having a segment length that does not exceed the threshold. A quantum entanglement state is shared between the first and second nodes based on transportation of a first photon of a first entangled pair of photons via the first segment. Other embodiments are disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 a processing system including a processor; and   a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
 calculating a path length of a quantum path between a first node and a second node of a service provider network comprising a software defined network (SDN), based on pre-provisioned information supplied by the SDN; 
 identifying a quantum repeater node responsive to the path length exceeding a threshold, wherein the quantum path comprises a first segment between the first node and the quantum repeater node; and 
 facilitating a sharing of a quantum entanglement state between the first node and the second node to obtain a shared quantum entanglement state based on a transportation of a first object of a first quantum entangled pair of objects via the first segment. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 initiating a classical communication channel between the first node and the second node, the classical communication channel adapted to communicate quantum state information of the shared quantum entanglement state from the first node to the second node to obtain communicated quantum state information,   wherein the quantum state information is obtained from a measurement performed upon a second object of the first quantum entangled pair of objects, and wherein information is exchanged between the first node and the second node via the quantum path according to the transportation of the first object of the first quantum entangled pair of objects and the communicated quantum state information.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first object of the first quantum entangled pair of objects comprises a first photon of a quantum entangled pair of photons, and wherein the quantum state information is shared within a hybrid fiber-coax (HFC) network. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the quantum state information comprises operational information of the HFC network. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the operational information of the HFC network comprises a security key. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 determining a first location of the first node and a second location of the second node based on the pre-provisioned information supplied by the SDN; and   identifying a quantum source configured to generate the first quantum entangled pair of objects based on the first location, wherein a first network routing path extends between the quantum source and the first node, the first network routing path adapted to transport a second object of the first quantum entangled pair of objects to the first node.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein identifying of the first network routing path further comprises:
 identifying a second network routing path based on the second location, the second network routing path extending between the quantum source and the quantum repeater node, the second network routing path adapted to transport a second object of the first quantum entangled pair of objects to the quantum repeater node.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the first object of the first quantum entangled pair of objects comprises a first photon of a quantum entangled pair of photons, and wherein the first segment comprises a fiber optic link adapted to transport the first photon of the first quantum entangled pair of photons. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the first object of the first quantum entangled pair of objects comprises a first photon of a quantum entangled pair of photons, and wherein the quantum path comprises a free-space optical link adapted to transport a photon of the first quantum entangled pair of photons. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the quantum repeater node comprises a satellite repeater node, the free-space optical link extending from a terrestrial location to the satellite repeater node. 
     
     
         11 . A method, comprising:
 determining, by a processing system comprising a processor, a path length of a path between a first node and a second node of a service provider network comprising a software defined network (SDN), based on pre-provisioned information supplied by the SDN;   identifying, by the processing system, a repeater node responsive to the path length exceeding a threshold, wherein the path comprises a first segment between the first node and the repeater node; and   facilitating, by the processing system, a sharing of a quantum entanglement state between the first node and the second node to obtain a shared quantum entanglement state based on a transportation of a first photon of a first entangled pair of photons via the first segment.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 initiating, by the processing system, a classical communication channel between the first node and the second node, the classical communication channel adapted to communicate quantum state information of the shared quantum entanglement state from the first node to the second node to obtain communicated quantum state information,   wherein the quantum state information is obtained from a measurement performed upon a second quantum photon of the first entangled pair of photons, and wherein information is exchanged between the first node and the second node via the path according to the transportation of the first photon of the first entangled pair of photons and the communicated quantum state information.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the quantum state information is shared within a hybrid fiber-coax (HFC) network. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the quantum state information comprises operational information of the HFC network. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the operational information of the HFC network comprises a security key. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 determining, by the processing system, a first location of the first node and a second location of the second node based on the pre-provisioned information supplied by the SDN; and   identifying, by the processing system, a quantum source configured to generate the first entangled pair of photons based on the first location, wherein a first routing path extends between the quantum source and the first node, the first routing path adapted to transport a second photon of the first entangled pair of photons to the first node.   
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory, machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
 estimating a path length of a path between a first node and a second node of a service provider network comprising a software defined network (SDN), based on pre-provisioned information supplied by the SDN;   selecting a quantum repeater node responsive to the path length exceeding a threshold, wherein the path comprises a first segment between the first node and the quantum repeater node; and   facilitating a sharing of a quantum entanglement state between the first node and the second node to obtain a shared quantum entanglement state based on a transportation of a first photon of a first entangled pair of photons via the first segment.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 initiating a classical communication channel between the first node and the second node, the classical communication channel adapted to communicate quantum state information of the shared quantum entanglement state from the first node to the second node to obtain communicated quantum state information,   wherein the quantum state information is obtained from a measurement performed upon a second quantum photon of the first entangled pair of photons, and wherein information is exchanged between the first node and the second node via the path according to the transportation of the first photon of the first entangled pair of photons and the communicated quantum state information.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the first segment has a segment length that does not exceed the threshold, and wherein the quantum state information is shared within a hybrid fiber-coax (HFC) network. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 determining a first location of the first node and a second location of the second node based on the pre-provisioned information supplied by the SDN; and   identifying a quantum source configured to generate the first entangled pair of photons based on the first location, wherein a first routing path extends between the quantum source and the first node, the first routing path adapted to transport a second photon of the first entangled pair of photons to the first node.