The smallest quantum code that can correct all one-qubit errors is based on five qubits. We experimentally implemented the encoding, decoding, and error-correction quantum networks using nuclear magnetic resonance on a five spin subsystem of labeled crotonic acid. The ability to correct each error was verified by tomography of the process. The use of error correction for benchmarking quantum networks is discussed, and we infer that the fidelity achieved in our experiment is sufficient for preserving entanglement.
Entangled qubits can increase the capacity of quantum error-correcting codes based on stabilizer codes. In addition, by using entanglement quantum stabilizer codes can be construct from classical linear codes that do not satisfy the dual-containing constraint. We show that it is possible to construct both additive and nonadditive quantum codes using the codeword stabilized quantum code framework. Nonadditive codes may offer improved performance over the more common stabilizer codes. Like other entanglement-assisted codes, the encoding procedure acts only on the qubits on Alice's side, and only these qubits are assumed to pass through the channel. However, errors in the codeword stabilized quantum code framework give rise to effective
Z errors on Bob's side. We use this scheme to construct entanglement-assisted nonadditive quantum codes, in particular,
((5,16,2;1)
) and
((7,4,5;4)
) codes.
Quantum error correction is an essential ingredient for universal quantum computing. Despite tremendous experimental efforts in the study of quantum error correction, to date, there has been no demonstration in the realisation of universal quantum error correction code (QECC), with the subsequent verification of all key features including the identification of an arbitrary physical error, the capability for transversal manipulation of the logical state, and state decoding. To address this notoriously difficult challenge, we push the limits of the depth of superconducting quantum circuits and experimentally realise the universal five-qubit QECC, the so-called smallest perfect code that permits corrections of generic single-qubit errors. In the experiment, having optimised the encoding circuit, we employ an array of superconducting qubits to realise the five-qubit QECC for several typical logical states including the magic state, an indispensable resource for realising non-Clifford gates. The encoded states are prepared with an average fidelity of
57.1(3)% while with a high fidelity of
98.6(1)% in the code space. Then, the arbitrary single-qubit errors introduced manually are identified by measuring the stabilizers. We further implement logical Pauli operations with a fidelity of
97.2(2)% within the code space. Finally, we realise the decoding circuit and recover the input state with a process fidelity of
57.4(7)%. After decoding, by identifying errors via the measurement of the four ancillae and then mathematically recovering the qubit state, we verify the power of error correction of this code. Thus, by demonstrating each key aspect of error correction with the five-qubit code, our work establishes the viability of experimental quantum error correction with superconducting qubits and paves the route to fault-tolerant quantum computing.
In quantum error-correcting code (QECC), many quantum operations and measurements are necessary to correct errors in logical qubits. In the stabilizer formalism, which is widely used in QECC, generators
Gi(i=1,2,...) consist of multiples of Pauli matrices and perform encoding, decoding, and measurement. In order to maintain encoding states, the stabilizer Hamiltonian ${H}_{\mathrm{stab}}=\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\sum}}_{i}{G}_{i}$ is suitable because its ground state corresponds to the code space. On the other hand, Hamiltonians of most solid-state qubits have two-body interactions and show their own dynamics. In addition solid-state qubits are fixed on substrate and qubit-qubit operation is restricted in their neighborhood. The main purpose of this paper is to show how to directly generate the stabilizer Hamiltonian
Hstab from conventional two-body Hamiltonians with Ising interaction and
XY interaction by applying a pulse control method such as an NMR technique. We show that generation times of
Hstab for nine-qubit code, five-qubit code, and Steane code are estimated to be less than 300 ns when typical experimental data of superconducting qubits are used, and sufficient pulse control is assumed. We also show how to prepare encoded states from an initial state $|0,...,0\ensuremath{\rangle}$. In addition, we discuss an appropriate arrangement of two- or three-dimensional arrayed qubits.