Keynote Speakers
Morning Keynote (8:15–9:15 AM)
Toward Large-Scale Quantum Networks: From Low-Loss Links to Distributed Applications
Liang Jiang, The University of Chicago
Large-scale quantum networks require coordinated advances in communication hardware, error correction, and networked applications. I will begin with an overview of quantum-network architectures and representative repeater protocols. I will then introduce an alternative approach to mitigating photon loss in conventional optical channels: a novel vacuum beam guide that enables ultralow-loss, high-bandwidth transmission over long distances. Complementing this physical-layer innovation, I will present capacity-achieving bosonic quantum error-correction schemes with constructive encoding and decoding strategies for pure-loss channels. Finally, I will discuss how these technologies can enable distributed quantum computing, network-level error correction, and distributed quantum sensing. Together, these advances demonstrate how co-design across channels, codes, protocols, and applications can move quantum networking beyond point-to-point experiments toward scalable, useful systems.
Biography: Liang Jiang is a professor in the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago. Jiang received his BS from Caltech and PhD from Harvard University. He was a faculty member at Yale University during 2012-2019. His research focuses on using quantum control and error correction to build large scalable quantum systems. Jiang is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and also a recipient of the Sloan Research Fellowship, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation Fellowship, and the APS Landauer-Bennett Award.
Afternoon Keynote (2:00–3:00 PM)
Quantum-Conventional Network Testbed: Measurements and Theories
Nageswara S. V. Rao, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
The quantum networks require the development of devices and methods unprecedented in conventional networks, and yet they critically depend on the latter for implementing foundational blocks and essential operations. We describe a quantum-conventional testbed to support measurements and theories for the development and testing of their functionality and performance. It incorporates a variety of entangled photon sources, qubit technologies, detector technologies, photonic components, and supporting conventional switches and workstations. It implements a novel fiber telescoping scheme that provides suites of connections using fiber spools and aerial-inground fiber loops. We briefly summarize a variety of experiments and analyses conducted over this testbed including: (i) flex-grid quantum connection experiments, (ii) quantum state and channel tomography, (iii) utilization of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) keys to secure conventional encryption and firewall devices, (iv) unification of analytical capacity estimates and entanglement throughput over hybrid fiber connections, and (v) year-round measurements and AI/ML analysis of delay and polarization over aerial-inground fiber connections.
Biography: Nagi Rao is a Corporate Fellow at Oak Ridge National Laboratory where he joined in 1993. He received PhD from Louisiana State University, ME from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and BTech from National Institute of Technology, Warangal, India. His research interests are high-performance and quantum networking, rigorous machine learning methods, and information fusion. His quantum networking projects are funded by DOE and DARPA. He is a Life Fellow of IEEE and Fellow of International Society of Information Fusion.
