I divide the applications of quantum communications into three
categories: quantum cryptographic functions, quantum sensor networks, and distributed quantum computation. Some of these functions are drop-in replacements for existing, classical functionality, with additional, desirable characteristics. At least one of the most exciting is an entirely new capability brought by quantum computation.
In this short talk, I will discuss the demands that quantum key distribution, quantum Byzantine agreement, quantum interferometry, and blind quantum computation will make on large-scale quantum repeater networks. We will sketch out an evolutionary path that runs from a few Bell pairs per second through 1e11 Bell pairs per second, as repeater networks take on increasingly demanding applications.
