Beating the break-even point with a discrete-variable-encoded logical qubit

Error correction in quantum computers breaks even

31 August 2023

A procedure for correcting errors that arise in quantum computers has surpassed the break-even point for such schemes.

Quantum computers have the potential to perform certain calculations much faster than conventional computers. However, they are very sensitive to environmental noise and thus error-correction schemes are needed to fix errors that arise. But these schemes have yet to reach a point of being practical useful.

Now, a team led by researchers from SUSTech in Shenzhen, China, has experimentally demonstrated an error-correction scheme that exceeds the break-even point — defined as when the lifetime of an encoded qubit exceeds that of the best available physical qubit.

By performing real-time error correction to qubits in a microwave cavity, the team extended the lifetime of a qubit by 16% beyond the break-even point.

This demonstration is a key step towards realizing scalable quantum computers, the researchers say.

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References

1. Nature 616, 56–60 (2023). doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-05784-4