IBM makes a major leap forward in detecting quantum computing errors

Quantum computing is on the verge of driving the digital revolution to new heights.

The turbocharging process promises instant diagnosis of health diseases and provides rapid development of new drugs; Significantly accelerate response times in AI systems for time-sensitive activities such as autonomous driving and space travel; optimize traffic control in congested cities; helps aircraft navigate better in extreme turbulence; Accelerate weather forecasting to better prepare disaster-prone locations and optimize supply chain systems for more efficient delivery times and cost savings.

But we’re not there yet. One of the biggest hurdles facing quantum operations is error correction.

The price to pay for faster operations in quantum systems is higher error rates. Quantum computers are susceptible to interference such as electromagnetic signals, temperature changes, and disturbances in the Earth’s magnetic field. Such noise causes errors.

Qubits themselves, the special components of quantum computing, are susceptible to errors. Errors in frequency, power level, and coupling strength can cause miscalculations.

Unlike standard computer bits, which are always reliably copied, qubits, by their nature, cannot be copied without introducing errors. Bits store binary digit states that are easily copied while qubits store data in complex mathematical quantum states that can be interrupted during copying. Additionally, qubits age quickly and degradation can cause errors.

Researchers at IBM Quantum say they have developed a system that significantly improves error detection in quantum computing. In an August 28 online post, they explained the challenge: “Standard classical error correction simply corrects bit flips,” said IBM researcher Sergey Bravyi.

“Quantum computers must correct more types of errors, such as phase errors that can damage the additional quantum information that qubits carry… Engineering must [also] error correction without the ability to copy unknown quantum states and without destroying the underlying quantum state.”

In their paper, IBM researchers describe a process that they say dramatically cuts the arsenal currently needed in quantum computing to detect errors.

Standard computer surface codes have long been used successfully for error correction. These are two-dimensional grids that resemble a chessboard. Efficient error correction for qubits is more difficult.

Bravyi said many experts estimate fault-tolerant quantum computing would require millions of qubits, “a number that we believe is too large to be feasible at this stage of development.”

IBM’s solution, improved code and redesigned qubit placement, achieves results that require one-tenth the number of physical qubits currently used for error correction.

“Practical error correction is not a solved problem,” the researchers admit in a paper titled “High-threshold error-tolerant quantum memory and low cost” was published August 15 on the preprint server arXiv.

“However, these new codes and other advances in the field are increasing our confidence that fault-tolerant quantum computing is not only feasible, but also possible without the need to build an absurdly large quantum computer.”

Their approach currently only works on quantum memory, not computing power.

“These techniques are stepping stones toward a world of fault-tolerant computing,” Bravyi said, and… this new code is bringing that world closer. That’s a promising result that shows us where we should look next for even better error-correcting codes. ”