Quantum computing helps optimize wireless network resources efficiently
Neutral-Atom-based Quantum Optimization for Resource Allocation in NOMA Networks
Artificial IntelligenceInformation Theory
Summary
Allocating resources in wireless networks is often very hard and slow because many possible choices must be considered. The paper shows how a new type of quantum computer using neutral atoms can tackle this problem faster by turning it into a puzzle about selecting independent points in a network graph. The authors tested this approach with simulations and found it could handle large-scale wireless tasks, such as deciding who can connect, how to group users, and allocate channels and power. This work suggests quantum computing might help manage wireless networks better in the future.
What this means in practice
- •For network schedulers: Optimize user access, grouping, and channel use in uplink NOMA wireless networks with quantum-assisted algorithms.
- •For quantum computing engineers: Design quantum algorithms on neutral-atom platforms for solving complex combinatorial network optimization tasks.
Authors
Patatchona Keyela, Remon Polus, Soumaya Cherkaoui, Ola Ahmad
Abstract
In wireless communication networks, many resource optimization problems are nondeterministic polynomial-time hard (NP-hard) due to their combinatorial nature and high computational complexity. Recently, neutral-atom-based quantum computing has emerged as a promising platform for efficiently solving such problems by leveraging quantum superposition and entanglement. However, its application to wireless communication optimization problems remains largely unexplored. In this paper, we investigate the use of neutral-atom quantum platforms to solve the maximum access problem (MAP), formulated as a mixed-integer programming task that jointly considers admission control, user clustering, channel assignment, and power allocation in a non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA)-enabled uplink network. To reduce the computational burden, the MAP is equivalently reformulated as a maximum independent set (MIS) problem in graph theory. This reformulation enables the use of the neutral atom platform based on Rydberg atom arrays, where the MIS problem is naturally encoded into the physical geometry and blockade constraints of the quantum system. Numerical results demonstrate the feasibility and potential of this approach for addressing large-scale wireless resource optimization problems.