CALL FOR PAPERS

SS2: Network Softwarisation for Quantum Communication, Computing, and Sensing
Colocated with IEEE NFV SDN 2026, Tokyo, Japan

Network softwarisation (e.g. SDN, NFV) and the cloud have made networks programmable, service-oriented, and increasingly autonomous. In parallel, quantum technologies are transitioning from laboratory prototypes to operational platforms accessible through cloud interfaces like Quantum-as-a-Service (QaaS) and early quantum networking solutions. These trends are currently progressing.

This special session aims to explore the intersection between softwarisation and quantum technologies. The integration of quantum technologies (communication, computing, and sensing) into 6G softwarised continuum and cloud-managed systems. The session also focuses on how softwarization principles can extend to quantum networking, and how quantum technologies may influence the evolution of virtualized and programmable network architectures in the 6G era. The session highlights emerging research directions to discuss the architectural, operational, and orchestration challenges of integrating quantum and classical infrastructures. Additionally, the perspective on use cases considering an entanglement-assisted softwarized network with also quantum sensing and computing available, where quantum resources are also offered ‘as-a-service’ via APIs to applications, orchestrated across edge-cloud infrastructure, and operated under specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Finally, how quantum resources can be modelled as virtualised and programmable resources, how they can be chained with classical network functions (NFV and service function chaining) and governed via SDN control plane.

TOPICS OF INTEREST
The special session welcomes original research and experience papers on the following topics and thematic areas (indicative):

Hybrid quantum–classical network architectures controlled via SDN/NFV
Virtualization and abstraction of quantum resources (channels, memories, repeaters, compute nodes)
Orchestration of quantum services in cloud‑native and 6G environments
Integration of quantum‑secure communication (e.g., QKD, QRNG) into softwarized networks
AI/ML for quantum routing, entanglement management, and hybrid resource optimization
Testbeds and experimental platforms for quantum‑classical networking
Network slicing and QoS models for quantum and quantum‑enabled services
Standardization and interoperability challenges for quantum networking within SDN/NFV ecosystems
SDN‑based control of quantum nodes and channels
Orchestration of quantum‑secure services in virtualized environments
AI/ML for quantum network optimization
Experiences from hybrid quantum‑classical testbeds
These topics have been chosen to be fully aligned with the conference themes while introducing a forward‑looking perspective that broadens the scope of NFV‑SDN research to quantum networks.

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Riccardo Bassoli, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany

Cristina Costa, S2N Lab, CNIT, Genova, Italy

IMPORTANT DATES
Paper submission: July 15, 2026

Paper acceptance notification: August 30, 2026

Camera ready: September 30, 2026