Surface Code Quantum Error Correction Below Threshold
Distance-5/7 surface code memory · Other · 105 qubits · Google Quantum AI stack (Cirq-compatible)
Memory benchmark demonstrating a quantum error-correcting code operating below the fault-tolerant threshold on a superconducting processor. Google's team ran distance-3, -5 and -7 surface codes and showed that logical error rate per cycle drops by a factor Lambda each time code distance is increased by two, proving exponential error suppression with scale. Also ran a distance-29 repetition code. The distance-7 logical memory outlived its best physical qubit by a factor of 2.4, a first-of-its-kind result for superconducting hardware.
Memory benchmark demonstrating a quantum error-correcting code operating below the fault-tolerant threshold on a superconducting processor. Google's team ran distance-3, -5 and -7 surface codes and showed that logical error rate per cycle drops by a factor Lambda each time code distance is increased by two, proving exponential error suppression with scale. Also ran a distance-29 repetition code. The distance-7 logical memory outlived its best physical qubit by a factor of 2.4, a first-of-its-kind result for superconducting hardware.
First demonstration on superconducting hardware that increasing code distance reduces logical error exponentially — crossing the practical break-even point required for scalable fault-tolerant quantum computation.
Google superconducting processor (Willow-generation, 105 qubits)
Google Quantum AI stack (Cirq-compatible)