Quantum computing promises to transform everything from medicine to materials science. But there’s a catch – today’s quantum computers are incredibly error-prone. Microsoft and Quantinuum have achieved a groundbreaking milestone in quantum computing by demonstrating the most reliable logical qubits on record.
Reliable quantum computing
Through the combination of Microsoft’s innovative qubit-virtualization system and Quantinuum’s ion-trap hardware, the team ran over 14,000 experiments without a single error. This unprecedented reliability, achieved through advanced error diagnostics and correction on logical qubits, marks a leap from the NISQ era into Level 2 Resilient quantum computing.
This breakthrough paves the way for hybrid supercomputers that will revolutionize research across industries. With 100 reliable logical qubits, we’ll see scientific breakthroughs emerge, and as we approach 1,000 reliable logical qubits, the potential for commercial impact becomes immense.
Their latest research suggests the possibility of creating reliable “logical” qubits, the cornerstone of quantum computation, with only a dozen “physical” qubits – a vast improvement over previous estimates.
The problem with qubits
Classical computers use bits – they’re either a 0 or a 1. Quantum computers use qubits, which can be a 0, a 1, or both at the same time. This lets them perform massively complex calculations that are impossible for traditional computers. However, qubits are fragile and not error-free.
Right now, scientists try to compensate for qubit errors by using many physical qubits to build ‘logical’ qubits, which are more reliable. The catch? Making just one logical qubit might require up to 1,000 physical ones – not very efficient!
Microsoft’s breakthrough
Microsoft claims to have found a dramatically better approach. They’ve created a system that produces four logical qubits from just 30 physical ones, representing an 800-fold decrease in the error rate compared to the individual qubits they are built upon.
Their innovation centers around treating qubits like software, not just hardware. Microsoft developed what they call a “qubit virtualization system” that combines error correction techniques with intelligent strategies for identifying and correcting errors. They also pioneered the idea of “active syndrome extraction” – diagnosing and fixing qubit errors without collapsing their quantum states. This is similar to a mechanic diagnosing a car engine based on the sounds it makes, without taking everything apart.
Think of it like noise-canceling headphones, but instead of blocking outside noise, Microsoft’s technique pinpoints and isolates errors in the quantum system. This allows their logical qubits to function with far greater accuracy for extended periods.
Microsoft’s Jason Zander compares the current state of quantum computing to a leaky boat, underscoring the critical importance of fidelity and error correction. Fidelity measures the reliability of a quantum computer’s results, providing a crucial foundation for scaling machines to solve real-world problems. For years, the strategy has been to increase noisy physical qubits while trying to compensate for errors, but this falls short of creating truly robust error correction.
Today’s NISQ machines are hindered by noisy, error-prone qubits, which prevent effective error correction and practicality. The quantum industry must focus on increasing qubit fidelity to enable fault-tolerant computing, allowing us to solve previously impossible problems.
The key lies in creating reliable logical qubits by combining multiple physical qubits, protecting them from noise, and enabling longer computations. This breakthrough requires meticulous hardware and software co-design; only by optimizing components and error handling can we achieve results surpassing those of any individual part.
“Quantum error correction often seems very theoretical. What’s striking here is the massive contribution Microsoft’s midstack software for qubit optimization is making to the improved step-down in error rates. Microsoft is putting theory into practice,” says Dr. David Shaw, Chief Analyst, Global Quantum Intelligence
Impressive results
Using Quantinuum’s H2 quantum device, Microsoft’s logical qubits ran over 14,000 experiments without a single error. This achievement is akin to the noise cancellation found in high-end headphones but applied to the delicate world of quantum computing. While further research is needed, Microsoft believes they can reduce errors in their logical qubits even further.
This breakthrough, if independently verified, could be a major leap forward for the quantum computing field. More reliable qubits mean quantum computers with real-world applications could arrive much sooner than expected. Their potential impact on industries like drug design, financial modeling, and materials science is vast. Microsoft is already integrating this technology into its Azure Quantum cloud platform, making it available to researchers and developers.
