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Watson Quantum Seminar Series, A Distributed Framework for Maximizing Quantum Network Utility

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Speaker / Lecture Research

Thu, Nov 6, 2025

3 PM – 4 PM EST (GMT-5)

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Abstract: Quantum networks promise global-scale entanglement distribution with potential applications such as quantum‑key distribution, distributed quantum computing and high precision sensing. Yet these networks need to share a scarce and fragile resource, entangled pairs, among users with different Quality‑of‑Service targets. Network Utility Maximization (NUM) is a mathematical framework that has been instrumental for balancing such competing demands in classical communication networks. Recently, the NUM framework for quantum networks (QNUM) has been proposed but only in a centralized, globally informed setting. In this talk, I will present the first distributed QNUM framework. We decompose the global QNUM optimization problem into a primal‑dual algorithm executed jointly by source controllers, which modulate each user pair’s entanglement generation rate and link controllers, which set shadow prices that reflect the scarcity of link‑level entangled pairs. Each controller relies on local measurements and message exchange. We prove stability and convergence under convexity conditions and sketch a practical protocol that implements the primal‑dual algorithm.

Bio:

Dr. Nitish Kumar Panigrahy is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at SUNY Binghamton University. Previously, he was a postdoctoral researcher at NSF Engineering Research Center for Quantum Networks. He earned his PhD degree in Computer Science at University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2021. Dr. Panigrahy’s research interests lie in modeling, optimization, and performance evaluation of quantum information networks. He has been active on the program committees of several conferences including ACM SIGMETRICS, IEEE QCE, IEEE GLOBECOM, and IEEE LCN conferences. His papers have received the IEEE Quantum Week'23 Best Paper Award (second place) and IEEE MASCOTS'18 Best Paper Runner-Up Award.