Unveiling the Importance of Longer Paths in Quantum Networks

The advancement of quantum communication technologies is calling for a better understanding of quantum network (QN) design from first principles, approached through network science. Pioneering studies have established a classical percolation mapping to model the task of entanglement transmission across QN. Yet, this mapping does not capture the stronger, yet not fully understood connectivity observed in QNs, which facilitates more efficient entanglement transmission than predicted by classical percolation. In this work, we explore the critical phenomena of the potential statistical theory underlying this enhanced connectivity, known as concurrence percolation. Compared to classical percolation, the concurrence percolation mapping employs a unique approach of "superposing" path connectivities, utilizing a different set of path connectivity rules, thereby boosting the overall network connectivity. Firstly, we analytically derive the percolation critical exponents for hierarchical, scale-free networks, particularly the UV flower model, characterized by two distinct network length scales, U$\leq$V. Our analysis confirms that classical and concurrence percolations, albeit both satisfying the hyperscaling relation, fall into separate universality classes. Most importantly, this separation stems from their different treatment of non-shortest path contributions to overall connectivity. Notably, as the longer path scale V increases, concurrence percolation retains unignorable dependence of both its critical threshold and critical exponents on V and thus, comparing with its classical counterpart, shows a higher resilience to the weakening of non-shortest paths. This higher resilience is also observed in real-world network topology, e.g., the Internet. Our findings reveal a first principle for QN design: longer paths still contribute significantly to QN connectivity -- as long as they are abundant.