Classical Processing Requirements for a Topological Quantum Computing System

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the classical processing needs for a large-scale topological quantum computer, showing that with extensive parallelization, a suitable classical system can be built today for error correction in such systems.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of classical processing requirements for topological quantum error correction, demonstrating feasibility with current technology.

Findings

Classical processing can be parallelized to meet large-scale QIP demands.

A classical front-end system for error correction is feasible today.

Topological models offer a promising pathway for scalable quantum computing.

Abstract

Dedicated research into the design and construction of a large scale Quantum Information Processing (QIP) system is a complicated task. The design of an experimentally feasible quantum processor must draw upon results in multiple fields; from experimental efforts in system control and fabrication through to far more abstract areas such as quantum algorithms and error correction. Recently, the adaptation of topological coding models to physical systems in optics has illustrated a possible long term pathway to truly large scale QIP. As the topological model has well defined protocols for Quantum Error Correction (QEC) built in as part of its construction, a more grounded analysis of the {\em classical} processing requirements is possible. In this paper we analyze the requirements for a classical processing system, designed specifically for the topological cluster state model. We demonstrate that via extensive parallelization, the construction of a classical "front-end" system capable of processing error correction data for a large topological computer is possible today.