Quantum error correction will be a necessary component towards realizing scalable quantum computers with physical qubits. Theoretically, it is possible to perform arbitrarily long computations so long as the error rate is below a threshold value. The two-dimensional surface code permits relatively high fault-tolerant thresholds at the ∼ 1% level, and only requires a latticed network of qubits with nearest-neighbor interactions. I will discuss our implementation of a sub-section of the larger fabric using three transmon qubits and two linking microwave resonators. We demonstrate high-fidelity control over the sub-section surface code strand, verified via quantum prcoess tomography and randomized benchmarking experiments. Our fixed-frequency qubit approach relies on the two-qubit cross-resonance microwave driving interaction, which is now one of many microwave-based entangling gate protocols. I will also discuss the prospects to scale to surface code plaquette level experiments.
Quantum error correction will be a necessary component towards realizing scalable quantum computers with physical qubits. Theoretically, it is possible to perform arbitrarily long computations so long as the error rate is below a threshold value. The two-dimensional surface code permits relatively high fault-tolerant thresholds at the ∼ 1% level, and only requires a latticed network of qubits with nearest-neighbor interactions. I will discuss our implementation of a sub-section of the larger fabric using three transmon qubits and two linking microwave resonators. We demonstrate high-fidelity control over the sub-section surface code strand, verified via quantum prcoess tomography and randomized benchmarking experiments. Our fixed-frequency qubit approach relies on the two-qubit cross-resonance microwave driving interaction, which is now one of many microwave-based entangling gate protocols. I will also discuss the prospects to scale to surface code plaquette level experiments.
Quantum error correction will be a necessary component towards realizing scalable quantum computers with physical qubits. Theoretically, it is possible to perform arbitrarily long computations if the error rate is below a threshold value. The two-dimensional surface code permits relatively high fault-tolerant thresholds at the ~1% level, and only requires a latticed network of qubits with nearest-neighbor interactions. Superconducting qubits have continued to steadily improve in coherence, gate, and readout fidelities, to become a leading candidate for implementation into larger quantum networks. Here we describe characterization experiments and calibration of a system of four superconducting qubits arranged in a planar lattice, amenable to the surface code. Insights into the particular qubit design and comparison between simulated parameters and experimentally determined parameters are given. Single- and two-qubit gate tune-up procedures are described and results for simultaneously benchmarking pairs of two-qubit gates are given. All controls are eventually used for an arbitrary error detection protocol described in separate work [Corcoles et al., Nature Communications, 6, 2015].
The field of quantum computation currently lacks a formal proof of experimental feasibility. Qubits are fragile and sophisticated quantum error correction is required to achieve reliable quantum computation. The surface code is a promising quantum error correction code, requiring only a physically reasonable 2D lattice of qubits with nearest neighbor interactions. However, existing proofs that reliable quantum computation is possible using this code assume the ability to measure four-body operators and, despite making this difficult to realize assumption, require that the error rate of these operator measurements is less than 10(-9), an unphysically low target. High error rates have been proved tolerable only when assuming tunable interactions of strength and error rate independent of distance, which is also unphysical. In this work, given a 2D lattice of qubits with only nearest neighbor two-qubit gates, and single-qubit measurement, initialization, and unitary gates, all of which have error rate p, we prove that arbitrarily reliable quantum computation is possible provided p < 7.4 × 10(-4), a target that many experiments have already achieved. This closes a long-standing open problem, formally proving the experimental feasibility of quantum computation under physically reasonable assumptions.
Large-scale quantum computation will only be achieved if experimentally implementable quantum error correction procedures are devised that can tolerate experimentally achievable error rates. We describe an improved decoding algorithm for the Kitaev surface code, which requires only a two-dimensional square lattice of qubits that can interact with their nearest neighbors, that raises the tolerable quantum gate error rate to over 1%. The precise maximum tolerable error rate depends on the error model, and we calculate values in the range 1.1--1.4% for various physically reasonable models. These values represent a very high threshold error rate calculated in a constrained setting.
Quantum error correction is a critical technique for transitioning from noisy intermediate-scale quantum devices to fully fledged quantum computers. The surface code, which has a high threshold error rate, is the leading quantum error correction code for two-dimensional grid architecture. So far, the repeated error correction capability of the surface code has not been realized experimentally. Here, we experimentally implement an error-correcting surface code, the distance-three surface code which consists of 17 qubits, on the Zuchongzhi 2.1 superconducting quantum processor. By executing several consecutive error correction cycles, the logical error can be significantly reduced after applying corrections, achieving the repeated error correction of surface code for the first time. This experiment represents a fully functional instance of an error-correcting surface code, providing a key step on the path towards scalable fault-tolerant quantum computing.
Abstract Among the major hardware platforms for large-scale quantum computing, one of the leading candidates is superconducting quantum circuits. Current proposed architectures for quantum error-correction with the promising surface code require a two-dimensional layout of superconducting qubits with nearest-neighbor interactions. A major hurdle for the scalability in such an architecture using superconducting systems is the so-called wiring problem, where qubits internal to a chipset become difficult to access by the external control/readout lines. In contrast to the existing approaches which address the problem through intricate three-dimensional wiring and packaging technology, leading to a significant engineering challenge, here we address this problem by presenting a modified microarchitecture in which all the wiring can be realized through a newly introduced pseudo two-dimensional resonator network which provides the inter-qubit connections via airbridges. Our proposal is completely compatible with current standard planar circuit technology. We carried out experiments to examine the feasibility of the new airbridge component. The measured quality factor of the airbridged resonator is below the simulated surface-code threshold required for a coupling resonator, and it should not limit simulated gate fidelity. The measured crosstalk between crossed resonators is at most −49 dB in resonance. Further spatial and frequency separation between the resonators should result in relatively limited crosstalk between them, which would not increase as the size of the chipset increases. This architecture and the preliminary tests indicate the possibility that a large-scale, fully error-corrected quantum computer could be constructed by monolithic integration technologies without additional overhead or special packaging know-how.
We present a scalable scheme for executing the error-correction cycle of a monolithic surface-code fabric composed of fast-flux-tuneable transmon qubits with nearest-neighbor coupling. An eight-qubit unit cell forms the basis for repeating both the quantum hardware and coherent control, enabling spatial multiplexing. This control uses three fixed frequencies for all single-qubit gates and a unique frequency detuning pattern for each qubit in the cell. By pipelining the interaction and readout steps of ancilla-based X- and Z-type stabilizer measurements, we can engineer detuning patterns that avoid all second-order transmon-transmon interactions except those exploited in controlled-phase gates, regardless of fabric size. Our scheme is applicable to defect-based and planar logical qubits, including lattice surgery.