Transcript – Topological Phases of Matter and Quantum Error Correction and Detection

All quantum computational models require some form of error correction to be of any practical use in the quantum circuit paradigm. There’s a well-established theory of error, detecting and error correcting codes. The basic idea is to spread the information over a larger space to combat the effects of local errors. Quantum mechanical constraints prevent one from simply lifting classical redundancy methods. One novelty of the topological model is that errors are corrected at the hardware level as the information is protected by the topological nature of the underlying condensed matter systems. Can we combine the potential computational power of the quantum circuit model with this topological error correction? The main technical aspect of our project is to explore this idea through the hypothesis that the ground state of topological phases of matter are error correcting codes. We’ve also been able to engage undergraduates and graduate students through a learning seminar and organized a workshop hosted by the IMX here at Texas A&M, which has strengthened our connection with the quantum group at the Los Alamos National Labs.