Bounds on Bipartite Entanglement Distribution Rates for Discrete and Continuous Variable Quantum Switches

Many potential applications of the quantum internet will require quantum switches that can connect many end users and act as a quantum repeater to extend the range at which we can distribute entanglement. Different applications may require different physical encodings of quantum information, all of which can be described as either a discrete variable encoding or a continuous variable encoding. Here we analyze models for quantum repeating switches that take into account request rates for different types of end-to-end entanglements for either discrete or continuous quantum encodings. We present a method for finding analytical bounds on the supportable request rates, i.e., rates for which request queues are stable, meaning the average waiting times for requests are finite. With the use of a throughput optimal Max-Weight scheduling policy we simulate the switches acting in stable and unstable modes of operation that support the analytical findings.