Multipartite entangled states are great resources for quantum networks. In this work, we study the distribution, or routing, of entangled states over fixed, but arbitrary, physical networks. Our simplified model represents each use of a quantum channel as the sharing of a Bell pair; local operations and classical communications are considered to be free. We introduce two protocols to distribute, respectively, Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) states and arbitrary graph states over arbitrary quantum networks. The GHZ states' distribution protocol takes a single step and is optimal in terms of the number of Bell pairs used; the graph states' distribution protocol uses, at most, twice as many Bell pairs and steps as the optimal routing protocol for the worst-case scenario.

• Received 30 January 2019
• Revised 20 September 2019

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.100.052333