arXiv subjects

Ashfaq Khokhar

Publications and source records attributed to Ashfaq Khokhar.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

VQC-ZTI: Variational Quantum Control for Zero Trust Protection of the Tactile Internet

Tactile Internet services couple cyber events directly to physical actuation, so security decisions must improve risk discrimination without perturbing the control path. This paper presents VQC-ZTI, a split-plane Variational Quantum Classifier framework for zero-trust protection of Tactile Internet services, in which an off-path VQC analyzes encrypted-flow telemetry while an on-path policy engine applies cached deterministic grant, restrict, step-up, and deny actions. By decoupling anomaly scoring from enforcement, VQC-ZTI preserves predictable control behavior and allows detector sensitivity and policy aggressiveness to be tuned independently. We evaluate the framework on CESNET-derived aggregated traffic using random, entity-group, and temporal holdouts with a hybrid PyTorch-PennyLane implementation. The full-hybrid Quantum Neural Network achieves mean areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.9981, 0.9974, and 0.9941 and reduces the false-positive rate relative to ExtraTrees by 44.6%, 49.6%, and 67.9%, respectively. A representative component-timing decomposition further illustrates that batched VQC scoring remains in the asynchronous evidence path rather than the immediate enforcement path.

cs.CR↗

arXiv2026

Lightweight Deep Learning-Based Channel Estimation for RIS-Aided Extremely Large-Scale MIMO Systems on Resource-Limited Edge Devices

Next-generation wireless technologies such as 6G aim to meet demanding requirements such as ultra-high data rates, low latency, and enhanced connectivity. Extremely Large-Scale MIMO (XL-MIMO) and Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) are key enablers, with XL-MIMO boosting spectral and energy efficiency through numerous antennas, and RIS offering dynamic control over the wireless environment via passive reflective elements. However, realizing their full potential depends on accurate Channel State Information (CSI). Recent advances in deep learning have facilitated efficient cascaded channel estimation. However, the scalability and practical deployment of existing estimation models in XL-MIMO systems remain limited. The growing number of antennas and RIS elements introduces a significant barrier to real-time and efficient channel estimation, drastically increasing data volume, escalating computational complexity, requiring advanced hardware, and resulting in substantial energy consumption. To address these challenges, we propose a lightweight deep learning framework for efficient cascaded channel estimation in XL-MIMO systems, designed to minimize computational complexity and make it suitable for deployment on resource-constrained edge devices. Using spatial correlations in the channel, we introduce a patch-based training mechanism that reduces the dimensionality of input to patch-level representations while preserving essential information, allowing scalable training for large-scale systems. Simulation results under diverse conditions demonstrate that our framework significantly improves estimation accuracy and reduces computational complexity, regardless of the increasing number of antennas and RIS elements in XL-MIMO systems.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2026

Robust Constraint-Aware Bayesian Tuning of BBRv2 for QUIC under Tactile Internet Constraints

Tactile Internet applications place strict require- ments on latency, jitter, loss, and responsiveness, which makes transport configuration a critical design factor. Although BBRv2 offers a model-based congestion control framework with strong throughput potential, its default behavior may not be well aligned with delay-sensitive interactive scenarios. This paper presents a robust and constraint-aware tuning framework for BBRv2 in QUIC, where parameter selection is formulated as an expensive black-box optimization problem over multiple emulated network conditions. The tuning process uses Bayesian optimization with the Tree Structured Parzen Estimator to efficiently explore a bounded parameter space under noisy experimental measure- ments. The objective is designed to preserve throughput while enforcing limits on tail latency and loss, while delay instability is evaluated separately through the jitter metric. Experimental results across low, medium, and high impairment scenarios show that the tuned configuration improves tail latency, jitter behavior, and loss performance while maintaining competitive goodput relative to standard QUIC congestion control baselines. These results support robust black-box tuning as a practical method for adapting QUIC transport behavior to tactile Internet style requirements.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2026

Efficient Parallel Implementation of the Pilot Assignment Problem in Massive MIMO Systems

The assignment of the pilot sequence is a critical challenge in massive MIMO systems, as sharing the same pilot sequence among multiple users causes interference, which degrades the accuracy of the channel estimation. This problem, equivalent to the NP-hard graph coloring problem, directly impacts real-time applications such as autonomous driving and industrial IoT, where minimizing channel estimation time is crucial. This paper proposes an optimized hybrid K-means clustering and Genetic Algorithm (SK-means GA) to improve the pilot assignment efficiency, achieving a 29.3% reduction in convergence time (82s vs. 116s for conventional GA). A parallel implementation (PK-means GA) is developed on an FPGA using Vivado High-Level Synthesis Tools (HLST) to further enhance the run-time performance, accelerating convergence to 3.5 milliseconds. Within Vivado implementation, different optimization techniques such as loop unrolling, pipelining, and function inlining are applied to realize the reported speedup. This significant improvement of PK-means GA in execution speed makes it highly suitable for low-latency real-time wireless networks (6G)

cs.DC↗

arXiv2025

CNN-Enabled Scheduling for Probabilistic Real-Time Guarantees in Industrial URLLC

Ensuring packet-level communication quality is vital for ultra-reliable, low-latency communications (URLLC) in large-scale industrial wireless networks. We enhance the Local Deadline Partition (LDP) algorithm by introducing a CNN-based dynamic priority prediction mechanism for improved interference coordination in multi-cell, multi-channel networks. Unlike LDP's static priorities, our approach uses a Convolutional Neural Network and graph coloring to adaptively assign link priorities based on real-time traffic, transmission opportunities, and network conditions. Assuming that first training phase is performed offline, our approach introduced minimal overhead, while enabling more efficient resource allocation, boosting network capacity, SINR, and schedulability. Simulation results show SINR gains of up to 113\%, 94\%, and 49\% over LDP across three network configurations, highlighting its effectiveness for complex URLLC scenarios.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2025

Performance Evaluations of Signed and Unsigned Noisy Approximate Quantum Fourier Arithmetic

The Quantum Fourier Transform (QFT) grants competitive advantages, especially in resource usage and circuit approximation, for performing arithmetic operations on quantum computers, and offers a potential route towards a numerical quantum-computational paradigm. In this paper, we utilize efficient techniques to implement QFT-based integer addition and multiplications. These operations are fundamental to various quantum applications including Shor's algorithm, weighted sum optimization problems in data processing and machine learning, and quantum algorithms requiring inner products. We carry out performance evaluations of these implementations based on IBM's superconducting qubit architecture using different compatible noise models. We isolate the sensitivity of the component quantum circuits on both one-/two-qubit gate error rates, and the number of the arithmetic operands' superposed integer states. We analyze performance, and identify the most effective approximation depths for unsigned quantum addition and quantum multiplication within the given context. We then perform a similar analysis of signed addition and compare to the unsigned results. We observe significant dependency of the optimal approximation depth on the degree of machine noise and the number of superposed states in certain performance regimes. Finally, we elaborate on the algorithmic challenges - relevant to signed, unsigned, modular and non-modular versions - that could also be applied to current implementations of QFT-based subtraction, division, exponentiation, and their potential tensor extensions. We analyze the performance trends in our results and speculate on possible future developments within this computational paradigm.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

QSAFE-V: Quantum-Enhanced Lightweight Authentication Protocol Design for Vehicular Tactile Wireless Networks

With the rapid advancement of 6G technology, the Tactile Internet is emerging as a novel paradigm of interaction, particularly in intelligent transportation systems, where stringent demands for ultra-low latency and high reliability are prevalent. During the transmission and coordination of autonomous vehicles, malicious adversaries may attempt to compromise control commands or swarm behavior, posing severe threats to road safety and vehicular intelligence. Many existing authentication schemes claim to provide security against conventional attacks. However, recent developments in quantum computing have revealed critical vulnerabilities in these schemes, particularly under quantum-enabled adversarial models. In this context, the design of a quantum-secured, lightweight authentication scheme that is adaptable to vehicular mobility becomes essential. This paper proposes QSAFE-V, a quantum-secured authentication framework for edge-enabled vehicles that surpasses traditional security models. We conduct formal security proofs based on quantum key distribution and quantum adversary models, and also perform context-driven reauthentication analysis based on vehicular behavior. The output of quantum resilience evaluations indicates that QSAFE-V provides robust protection against quantum and contextual attacks. Furthermore, detailed performance analysis reveals that QSAFE-V achieves comparable communication and computation costs to classical schemes, while offering significantly stronger security guarantees under wireless Tactile Internet conditions.

math.QA↗

arXiv2025

GCN-Driven Reinforcement Learning for Probabilistic Real-Time Guarantees in Industrial URLLC

Ensuring packet-level communication quality is vital for ultra-reliable, low-latency communications (URLLC) in large-scale industrial wireless networks. We enhance the Local Deadline Partition (LDP) algorithm by introducing a Graph Convolutional Network (GCN) integrated with a Deep Q-Network (DQN) reinforcement learning framework for improved interference coordination in multi-cell, multi-channel networks. Unlike LDP's static priorities, our approach dynamically learns link priorities based on real-time traffic demand, network topology, remaining transmission opportunities, and interference patterns. The GCN captures spatial dependencies, while the DQN enables adaptive scheduling decisions through reward-guided exploration. Simulation results show that our GCN-DQN model achieves mean SINR improvements of 179.6\%, 197.4\%, and 175.2\% over LDP across three network configurations. Additionally, the GCN-DQN model demonstrates mean SINR improvements of 31.5\%, 53.0\%, and 84.7\% over our previous CNN-based approach across the same configurations. These results underscore the effectiveness of our GCN-DQN model in addressing complex URLLC requirements with minimal overhead and superior network performance.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2025

Root Cause Analysis of Hydrogen Bond Separation in Spatio-Temporal Molecular Dynamics using Causal Models

Molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) face challenges, including resource-heavy computations and the need to manually scan outputs to detect "interesting events," such as the formation and persistence of hydrogen bonds between atoms of different molecules. A critical research gap lies in identifying the underlying causes of hydrogen bond formation and separation -understanding which interactions or prior events contribute to their emergence over time. With this challenge in mind, we propose leveraging spatio-temporal data analytics and machine learning models to enhance the detection of these phenomena. In this paper, our approach is inspired by causal modeling and aims to identify the root cause variables of hydrogen bond formation and separation events. Specifically, we treat the separation of hydrogen bonds as an "intervention" occurring and represent the causal structure of the bonding and separation events in the MDS as graphical causal models. These causal models are built using a variational autoencoder-inspired architecture that enables us to infer causal relationships across samples with diverse underlying causal graphs while leveraging shared dynamic information. We further include a step to infer the root causes of changes in the joint distribution of the causal models. By constructing causal models that capture shifts in the conditional distributions of molecular interactions during bond formation or separation, this framework provides a novel perspective on root cause analysis in molecular dynamic systems. We validate the efficacy of our model empirically on the atomic trajectories that used MDS for chiral separation, demonstrating that we can predict many steps in the future and also find the variables driving the observed changes in the system.

cs.AI↗

arXiv2025

OSI Stack Redesign for Quantum Networks: Requirements, Technologies, Challenges, and Future Directions

Quantum communication is poised to become a foundational element of next-generation networking, offering transformative capabilities in security, entanglement-based connectivity, and computational offloading. However, the classical OSI model-designed for deterministic and error-tolerant systems-cannot support quantum-specific phenomena such as coherence fragility, probabilistic entanglement, and the no-cloning theorem. This paper provides a comprehensive survey and proposes an architectural redesign of the OSI model for quantum networks in the context of 7G. We introduce a Quantum-Converged OSI stack by extending the classical model with Layer 0 (Quantum Substrate) and Layer 8 (Cognitive Intent), supporting entanglement, teleportation, and semantic orchestration via LLMs and QML. Each layer is redefined to incorporate quantum mechanisms such as enhanced MAC protocols, fidelity-aware routing, and twin-based applications. This survey consolidates over 150 research works from IEEE, ACM, MDPI, arXiv, and Web of Science (2018-2025), classifying them by OSI layer, enabling technologies such as QKD, QEC, PQC, and RIS, and use cases such as satellite QKD, UAV swarms, and quantum IoT. A taxonomy of cross-layer enablers-such as hybrid quantum-classical control, metadata-driven orchestration, and blockchain-integrated quantum trust-is provided, along with simulation tools including NetSquid, QuNetSim, and QuISP. We present several domain-specific applications, including quantum healthcare telemetry, entangled vehicular networks, and satellite mesh overlays. An evaluation framework is proposed based on entropy throughput, coherence latency, and entanglement fidelity. Key future directions include programmable quantum stacks, digital twins, and AI-defined QNet agents, laying the groundwork for a scalable, intelligent, and quantum-compliant OSI framework for 7G and beyond.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Predictive Position Estimation for Remote Surgery under Packet Loss Using the Informer Framework

Accurate and real-time position estimation of the robotic arm on the patient's side is crucial for the success of remote robotic surgery in Tactile Internet environments. This paper proposes a predictive approach using the computationally efficient Transformer-based Informer model for position estimation, combined with a Four-State Hidden Markov Model (4-State HMM) to simulate realistic packet loss scenarios. The method effectively addresses network-induced delays, jitter, and packet loss, ensuring reliable performance in remote robotic surgery. The study evaluates the Informer model on the JIGSAWS dataset, demonstrating its capability to handle sequential data challenges caused by network uncertainties. Key features, including ProbSparse attention and a generative-style decoder, enhance prediction accuracy, computational speed, and memory efficiency. Results indicate that the proposed method achieves over 90 percent accuracy across varying network conditions. Furthermore, the Informer framework outperforms traditional models such as TCN, RNN, and LSTM, highlighting its suitability for real-time remote surgery applications.

eess.SY↗

arXiv2025

Quantum-driven Zero Trust Framework with Dynamic Anomaly Detection in 7G Technology: A Neural Network Approach

As cyber threats become more complex, modern networks struggle to balance security, scalability, and computational efficiency. While quantum computing offers a promising solution, adoption is limited by scalability constraints, inefficiencies in data encoding, and high computational costs. To address these challenges, we propose the Quantum Neural Network-Enhanced Zero Trust Framework (QNN-ZTF), integrating Zero Trust Architecture, Intrusion Detection Systems, and Quantum Neural Networks (QNNs) for enhanced security. Leveraging superposition, entanglement, and variational optimization, QNN-ZTF enables real-time anomaly detection and adaptive policy enforcement. Key contributions include a hybrid quantum-classical architecture for scalability, dynamic anomaly scoring for improved detection accuracy, and quantum micro-segmentation to contain threats and restrict lateral movement. Evaluation results show improved cyber threat mitigation, demonstrating the framework's effectiveness in reducing false positives and response times. This research establishes a scalable, adaptive, and quantum-optimized cybersecurity model, advancing quantum-enhanced security for next-generation networks.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Enhanced Position Estimation in Tactile Internet-Enabled Remote Robotic Surgery Using MOESP-Based Kalman Filter

Accurately estimating the position of a patient's side robotic arm in real time during remote surgery is a significant challenge, especially within Tactile Internet (TI) environments. This paper presents a new and efficient method for position estimation using a Kalman Filter (KF) combined with the Multivariable Output-Error State Space (MOESP) method for system identification. Unlike traditional approaches that require prior knowledge of the system's dynamics, this study uses the JIGSAW dataset, a comprehensive collection of robotic surgical data, along with input from the Master Tool Manipulator (MTM) to derive the state-space model directly. The MOESP method allows accurate modeling of the Patient Side Manipulator (PSM) dynamics without prior system models, improving the KF's performance under simulated network conditions, including delays, jitter, and packet loss. These conditions mimic real-world challenges in Tactile Internet applications. The findings demonstrate the KF's improved resilience and accuracy in state estimation, achieving over 95 percent accuracy despite network-induced uncertainties.

cs.RO↗

arXiv2025

A Predictive Approach for Enhancing Accuracy in Remote Robotic Surgery Using Informer Model

Precise and real-time estimation of the robotic arm's position on the patient's side is essential for the success of remote robotic surgery in Tactile Internet (TI) environments. This paper presents a prediction model based on the Transformer-based Informer framework for accurate and efficient position estimation. Additionally, it combines a Four-State Hidden Markov Model (4-State HMM) to simulate realistic packet loss scenarios. The proposed approach addresses challenges such as network delays, jitter, and packet loss to ensure reliable and precise operation in remote surgical applications. The method integrates the optimization problem into the Informer model by embedding constraints such as energy efficiency, smoothness, and robustness into its training process using a differentiable optimization layer. The Informer framework uses features such as ProbSparse attention, attention distilling, and a generative-style decoder to focus on position-critical features while maintaining a low computational complexity of O(L log L). The method is evaluated using the JIGSAWS dataset, achieving a prediction accuracy of over 90 percent under various network scenarios. A comparison with models such as TCN, RNN, and LSTM demonstrates the Informer framework's superior performance in handling position prediction and meeting real-time requirements, making it suitable for Tactile Internet-enabled robotic surgery.

cs.RO↗

arXiv2024

Adaptive Context-Aware Multi-Path Transmission Control for VR/AR Content: A Deep Reinforcement Learning Approach

This paper introduces the Adaptive Context-Aware Multi-Path Transmission Control Protocol (ACMPTCP), an efficient approach designed to optimize the performance of Multi-Path Transmission Control Protocol (MPTCP) for data-intensive applications such as augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) streaming. ACMPTCP addresses the limitations of conventional MPTCP by leveraging deep reinforcement learning (DRL) for agile end-to-end path management and optimal bandwidth allocation, facilitating path realignment across diverse network environments.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2024

Efficient VoIP Communications through LLM-based Real-Time Speech Reconstruction and Call Prioritization for Emergency Services

Emergency communication systems face disruptions due to packet loss, bandwidth constraints, poor signal quality, delays, and jitter in VoIP systems, leading to degraded real-time service quality. Victims in distress often struggle to convey critical information due to panic, speech disorders, and background noise, further complicating dispatchers' ability to assess situations accurately. Staffing shortages in emergency centers exacerbate delays in coordination and assistance. This paper proposes leveraging Large Language Models (LLMs) to address these challenges by reconstructing incomplete speech, filling contextual gaps, and prioritizing calls based on severity. The system integrates real-time transcription with Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to generate contextual responses, using Twilio and AssemblyAI APIs for seamless implementation. Evaluation shows high precision, favorable BLEU and ROUGE scores, and alignment with real-world needs, demonstrating the model's potential to optimize emergency response workflows and prioritize critical cases effectively.

cs.SD↗

arXiv2024

Enhancing Precision in Tactile Internet-Enabled Remote Robotic Surgery: Kalman Filter Approach

Accurately estimating the position of a patient's side robotic arm in real time in a remote surgery task is a significant challenge, particularly in Tactile Internet (TI) environments. This paper presents a Kalman Filter (KF) based computationally efficient position estimation method. The study also assume no prior knowledge of the dynamic system model of the robotic arm system. Instead, The JIGSAW dataset, which is a comprehensive collection of robotic surgical data, and the Master Tool Manipulator's (MTM) input are utilized to learn the system model using System Identification (SI) toolkit available in Matlab. We further investigate the effectiveness of KF to determine the position of the Patient Side Manipulator (PSM) under simulated network conditions that include delays, jitter, and packet loss. These conditions reflect the typical challenges encountered in real-world Tactile Internet applications. The results of the study highlight KF's resilience and effectiveness in achieving accurate state estimation despite network-induced uncertainties with over 90\% estimation accuracy.

cs.RO↗

arXiv2024

EcoEdgeTwin: Enhanced 6G Network via Mobile Edge Computing and Digital Twin Integration

In the 6G era, integrating Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) and Digital Twin (DT) technologies presents a transformative approach to enhance network performance through predictive, adaptive control for energy-efficient, low-latency communication. This paper presents the EcoEdgeTwin model, an innovative framework that harnesses the synergy between MEC and DT technologies to ensure efficient network operation. We optimize the utility function within the EcoEdgeTwin model to balance enhancing users' Quality of Experience (QoE) and minimizing latency and energy consumption at edge servers. This approach ensures efficient and adaptable network operations, utilizing DT to synchronize and integrate real-time data seamlessly. Our framework achieves this by implementing robust mechanisms for task offloading, service caching, and cost-effective service migration. Additionally, it manages energy consumption related to task processing, communication, and the influence of DT predictions, all essential for optimizing latency and minimizing energy usage. Through the utility model, we also prioritize QoE, fostering a user-centric approach to network management that balances network efficiency with user satisfaction. A cornerstone of our approach is integrating the advantage actor-critic algorithm, marking a pioneering use of deep reinforcement learning for dynamic network management. This strategy addresses challenges in service mobility and network variability, ensuring optimal network performance matrices. Our extensive simulations demonstrate that compared to benchmark models lacking DT integration, EcoEdgeTwin framework significantly reduces energy usage and latency while enhancing QoE.

cs.NI↗