Letter abstract


Nature Physics 5, 541 - 546 (2009)
Published online: 28 June 2009 | doi:10.1038/nphys1309

Subject Categories: Quantum physics | Optical physics

Quantum error correction beyond qubits

Takao Aoki1,5, Go Takahashi1,2, Tadashi Kajiya1,2, Jun-ichi Yoshikawa1,2, Samuel L. Braunstein3, Peter van Loock4 & Akira Furusawa1,2

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Quantum computation and communication rely on the ability to manipulate quantum states robustly and with high fidelity. To protect fragile quantum-superposition states from corruption through so-called decoherence noise, some form of error correction is needed. Therefore, the discovery of quantum error correction1, 2 (QEC) was a key step to turn the field of quantum information from an academic curiosity into a developing technology. Here, we present an experimental implementation of a QEC code for quantum information encoded in continuous variables, based on entanglement among nine optical beams3. This nine-wave-packet adaptation of Shor's original nine-qubit scheme1 enables, at least in principle, full quantum error correction against an arbitrary single-beam error.

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  1. Department of Applied Physics and Quantum Phase Electronics Center, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
  2. CREST, Japan Science and Technology (JST) Agency, 5, Sanbancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0075, Japan
  3. Computer Science, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
  4. Optical Quantum Information Theory Group, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light and Institute of Theoretical Physics I, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Staudtstr.7/B2, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
  5. Current address: Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan

Correspondence to: Akira Furusawa1,2 e-mail: akiraf@ap.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp




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