ABSTRACT Quantum‐native communication systems are reshaping secure, programmable, and coherence‐aware networking beyond the classical paradigm. As intelligent physical infrastructures, ranging from unmanned aerial vehicle swarms to satellite Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) platforms, demand trust, synchronization, and ultra‐reliability, conventional protocol designs struggle to preserve entanglement and coherence while coordinating control logic across hybrid domains. This paper surveys layered protocol architectures and secure control frameworks designed for post‐6G and emerging 7G+ quantum‐enabled networks. Quantum‐classical hybrid denotes networks in which quantum links used for entanglement distribution or QKD interoperate with classical links and protocols within a unified communication fabric. We develop a taxonomy of the protocol stack, spanning the entanglement‐aware physical layer to the service‐level agreement (SLA)‐driven application layer, and covering representative technologies such as Q‐SDN (quantum software‐defined networking), quantum transmission Control Protocol, hybrid QKD and PQC (post‐quantum cryptography) integration, and intent‐driven orchestration through large language model agents. We revisit security using blockchain‐based trust anchors and fidelity‐aware metadata frameworks, and examine quantum synchronization and teleportation‐resilient session‐control mechanisms for preserving inter‐digital‐twin coherence. Through a broad review of architectural blueprints, protocol proposals, use cases, and simulation‐driven models, this paper positions quantum‐native protocol stacks as a foundation for secure, resilient, and intelligent communication systems.
Ahmed et al. (Fri,) studied this question.