This new approach could require 1000 to 10,000 fewer physical qubits making the company’s quantum computing systems 100 to 1000 times faster.
Nord Quantique, a quantum computing startup, has made a breakthrough in quantum error correction. The startup has become the first company globally to demonstrate the improvement of qubit coherence lifetime (how long a qubit retains its information) at the individual qubit level without the need for additional physical qubits for redundancy. This marks a 14% increase in the lifetime of a single qubit, with minimal physical resources.
The simulations indicate that these results are not only reproducible with more qubits but also predict a significant improvement in error correction efficiency as the number of qubits increases. The Nord Quantique’s quantum computers could achieve fault tolerance with only hundreds of qubits rather than millions. Nord Quantique plans to reveal further results from a multi-qubit system later this year, promising more advancements in this area.
The company’s unique approach to extending the lifetime of logical qubits without large overhead of physical qubits typically required for error correction. Their strategy involves the use of GKP bosonic codes to correct common quantum computing errors, such as bit-flips and phase-flips, at the individual qubit level.
This approach significantly simplifies error management and could require 1000 to 10,000 fewer physical qubits compared to other models. The company’s quantum computing systems are also projected to operate at megahertz frequencies, 100 to 1000 times faster than some competing technologies.
The company has avoided the ‘brute force’ method for error correction, opting instead for a sophisticated technique involving microwave photons and superconducting cavities. This innovative approach leverages built-in redundancy for internal qubit error correction.
Julien Camirand Lemyre, the President and CTO of Nord Quantique, emphasised the critical role of error correction in realising practical quantum computing. This error correction mechanism, combined with the potential for rapid computation and scalability, positions Nord Quantique favourably for addressing complex computational problems in materials science, pharmaceuticals, and other industries requiring advanced calculations.
