Reed-Muller (RM) codes form a classic family studied for its interesting algebraic and combinatorial properties as well as from the perspective of information transmission. They achieve Shannon capacity of the basic binary channel models such as channels with independent erasures or flip errors. They have numerous applications to the theory of computational complexity and have well-understood local testability. They also give rise to a family of quantum codes admitting transversal logical operators in increasing levels of the Clifford hierarchy, a property of codes considered necessary for future fault-tolerant quantum computations. In this dissertation, we show that, despite decades of research surrounding RM codes, new directions sprouting from their simple definition continue to be possible. We will begin by considering an alternate description of RM codes in terms of faces of the Boolean hypercube, and will see that by replacing the hypercube with a more general algebraic object we obtain a large class of previously undiscovered classical error-correcting codes sharing many structural properties with RM codes. These classical codes directly lead to an even larger class of new quantum error-correcting codes with explicitly determined parameters; we will demonstrate that these quantum codes admit many natural transversal logical gates. We finish by specializing to the class of quantum Reed-Muller codes and provide a complete characterization of the logic implemented by these transversal operators, yielding a broad generalization of prior work on the subject.
Reed-Muller (RM) codes form a classic family studied for its interesting algebraic and combinatorial properties as well as from the perspective of information transmission. They achieve Shannon capacity of the basic binary channel models such as channels with independent erasures or flip errors. They have numerous applications to the theory of computational complexity and have well-understood local testability. They also give rise to a family of quantum codes admitting transversal logical operators in increasing levels of the Clifford hierarchy, a property of codes considered necessary for future fault-tolerant quantum computations. In this dissertation, we show that, despite decades of research surrounding RM codes, new directions sprouting from their simple definition continue to be possible. We will begin by considering an alternate description of RM codes in terms of faces of the Boolean hypercube, and will see that by replacing the hypercube with a more general algebraic object we obtain a large class of previously undiscovered classical error-correcting codes sharing many structural properties with RM codes. These classical codes directly lead to an even larger class of new quantum error-correcting codes with explicitly determined parameters; we will demonstrate that these quantum codes admit many natural transversal logical gates. We finish by specializing to the class of quantum Reed-Muller codes and provide a complete characterization of the logic implemented by these transversal operators, yielding a broad generalization of prior work on the subject.
Designing efficient and noise-tolerant quantum computation protocols generally begins with an understanding of quantum error-correcting codes and their native logical operations. The simplest class of native operations are transversal gates, which are naturally fault-tolerant. In this paper, we aim to characterize the transversal gates of quantum Reed–Muller (RM) codes by exploiting the well-studied properties of their classical counterparts. We start our work by establishing a new geometric characterization of quantum RM codes via the Boolean hypercube and its associated subcube complex. More specifically, a set of stabilizer generators for a quantum RM code can be described via transversalXandZoperators acting on subcubes of particular dimensions. This characterization leads us to definesubcube operatorscomposed of single-qubitπ/2kZ-rotations that act on subcubes of given dimensions. We first characterize the action of subcube operators on the code space: depending on the dimension of the subcube, these operators either (1) act as a logical identity on the code space, (2) implement non-trivial logic, or (3) rotate a state away from the code space. Second, and more remarkably, we uncover that the logic implemented by these operators corresponds to circuits of multi-controlled-Zgates that have an explicit and simple combinatorial description. Overall, this suite of results yields a comprehensive understanding of a class of natural transversal operators for quantum RM codes.
In this work, we study quantum CSS codes with transversal T gates. Here, T gate transversality is meant in the strongest sense; the application of physical T to every physical qubit yields logical T on every logical qubit, without Clifford corrections. Despite the importance of the T gate in fault-tolerant quantum computation, the parameters of asymptotic families of such codes have not been improved since the work of Hastings and Haah in 2017, and Haah in 2018. In this work, we significantly broaden the achievable parameters of quantum code families with transversal T gates, both expanding the regime of achievable polynomial rate and distance, and constructing such codes with constant rate and growing distance; this is the first time the latter has been achieved, even when allowing Clifford corrections after the transversal T gate. These are also the first codes achieving γ→0 for a code with a transversal T gate, where γ is the overhead exponent of magic state distillation.
To do this, we develop a framework of divisible decreasing monomial codes, punctured at a downward-closed set on the Boolean hypercube to create logical qubits. We prove a closed-form expression for the distance of such a code punctured at such a set, which may be of independent interest. We first instantiate this with an explicit construction based on weighted Reed-Muller codes, puncturing at low Hamming-weight points, and then with a randomised construction, where a small random set of points is protected from the puncturing to save quantum code distance, achieving improved parameters.
Fault tolerant quantum computation is a critical step in the development of practical quantum computers. Unfortunately, not every quantum error correcting code can be used for fault tolerant computation. Rengaswamy et. al. define CSS-T codes, which are CSS codes that admit the transversal application of the T gate, which is a key step in achieving fault tolerant computation. They then present a family of quantum Reed-Muller fault tolerant codes. Their family of codes admits a transversal T gate, but the asymptotic rate of the family is zero. We build on their work by reframing their CSS-T conditions using the concept of self-orthogonality. Using this framework, we define an alternative family of quantum Reed-Muller fault tolerant codes. Like the quantum Reed-Muller family found by Rengaswamy et. al., our family admits a transversal T gate, but also has a nonvanishing asymptotic rate.\nWe prove three key results in our search for a Reed-Muller CSS-T family with a nonvanishing rate. First, we show an equivalence between a code containing a self-dual subcode and the dual of that code being self-orthogonal. This allows us to more easily determine if a pair of codes define a CSS-T code. Next, we show that if C1 and C2 are both Reed-Muller codes that form a CSS-T code, C1 must be self-orthogonal. This limits the rate of any family that is constructed solely from Reed-Muller codes. Lastly, we define a family of CSS-T codes by choosing C1 = RM(r, 2r + 1) and C2 = RM(0, 2r + 1) for some nonnegative integer r. We show that this family has an asymptotic rate of 1/2, and show that it is the only possible CSS-T family constructed only from Reed-Muller codes where C1 is self dual.
To build large-scale quantum computers while minimizing resource requirements, one may want to use high-rate quantum error-correcting codes that can efficiently encode information. However, realizing an addressable gate$\unicode{x2014}$a logical gate on a subset of logical qubits within a high-rate code$\unicode{x2014}$in a fault-tolerant manner can be challenging and may require ancilla qubits. Transversal and fold-transversal gates could provide a means to fault-tolerantly implement logical gates using a constant-depth circuit without ancilla qubits, but available gates of these types could be limited depending on the code and might not be addressable. In this work, we study a family of [[n=2m,k=(m/2m)≈n/πlog2(n)/2,d=2m/2=n]] self-dual quantum Reed$\unicode{x2013}$Muller codes, where m is a positive even number. For any code in this family, we construct a generating set of the full logical Clifford group comprising only transversal and fold-transversal gates, thus enabling the implementation of any addressable Clifford gate. To our knowledge, this is the first known construction of the full logical Clifford group using only transversal and fold-transversal gates without requiring ancilla qubits for a family of codes in which k grows near-linearly in n.
Fault-tolerant quantum computation requires error-correcting codes that not only protect quantum information but also support useful logical operations with practical physical realizations. Here we develop a general framework in which the stabilizer syndromes of commuting Pauli rotations directly organize logical-gate design. We derive an exact codespace-preservation condition valid at arbitrary rotation angles, providing a common stabilizer-level description for CSS and non-CSS codes and for both Clifford and non-Clifford operations. A particularly useful equal-syndrome specialization reduces Clifford gate design to stabilizer factorization, yields a general generator weight bound of ⌈d/2⌉ for distance-d codes, and systematically extends to logical rotations higher in the Clifford hierarchy. Applied to bivariate-bicycle (BB) and non-CSS Mirror qLDPC codes, the framework gives explicit low-weight Clifford and controlled-phase gates. Our implementations yield new low-weight gates, including an addressed T gate on the [[16,4,4]] BB code, T-type rotations on the [[64,8,8]] BB code, and CCZ-, CS-, and T-type operations on the [[36,6,6]] Mirror code. We also develop analytic constructions using Clifford algebra bases, which turn the syndrome constraints into explicit algebraic relations and provide a systematic route to logical addressability. We use this approach to analytically construct addressed CNOT, SWAP, controlled, and CCZ-type gates on recursive hypercube codes. An independent construction on middle quantum Reed--Muller codes yields CrZ gates that saturate the equal-syndrome weight bound. These results establish stabilizer syndromes as a constructive link between the stabilizer structure of a quantum code, the logical computations it can directly support, and the fault-tolerance properties of their physical realizations.
Quantum error correction is the backbone of fault-tolerant quantum computation, a necessary requirement for any large scale quantum computer. The fault-tolerance threshold theorem has long been a target for experimental precision, allowing for the possibility of reducing logical error rates to arbitrarily low levels without excessive overhead. While there are many promising fault-tolerant architectures, the path towards the most practical fault-tolerant scheme is far from decided and may vary for differing physical models. This thesis proposes new schemes for universal fault-tolerant quantum computation in both the concatenated and topological code settings. \n \nThrough the concatenation of two different error correcting codes, a set of universal fault-tolerant gates can be obtained without requiring the need for magic state distillation. A lower bound of 1.28times10−3 for the fault-tolerance threshold under circuit level depolarizing noise is obtained. Additionally, stacked codes are proposed as a means to simulate the action of a 3D topological code in 2D, allowing for the application of a universal set of transversal operations. While fault-tolerant, unfortunately the scheme does not exhibit a threshold due to the decreasing pseudo-threshold with growing code distance, yet points to potential interesting avenues for fault-tolerant computation in 2D without distillation. \n \nOne of the primary avenues to constructing fault-tolerant logical operations is through transversal operations. In this thesis, the set of single qubit logical gates that can be implemented transversally are characterized and determined to all belong to the Clifford hierarchy. Moreover, any diagonal two-qubit operation that can be applied transversally must belong to the same level of the Clifford hierarchy as the set of gates that can be implemented in the single-qubit case. \n \nThe opposite to quantum error correction is privacy, where the output of a channel is disguised from its input. The two are fundamentally related through the complementary channel construction. This thesis presents a new class of private quantum channels, expanding the existing class beyond a seemingly fundamental restriction. This yields interesting insights into the structure of quantum information and the leaking of information to external environments. Additionally, the duality is only recovered when extending the complementary channel to sufficiently high environmental dimension. \n \nFinally, the error properties of bucket brigade quantum Random Access Memory (qRAM) are assessed. It is determined that using the bucket brigade qRAM architecture for the running of Grover's algorithm necessitates reducing the error rate of the individual components to exponentially small levels for an exponential sized memory. As such, fault-tolerant architectures will likely play an essential role in the construction of such computing primitives.