Correction of chain losses in trapped ion quantum computers

TL;DR

This paper addresses the problem of atom loss in long chains of trapped ion quantum computers by proposing a quantum error correction scheme that detects and corrects chain losses, enhancing stability and reliability.

Contribution

It introduces a novel error correction method using beacon qubits and a tailored decoder to mitigate chain loss effects in trapped ion quantum systems.

Findings

The scheme can correct chain losses using a distributed $[[72,12,6]]$ BB code.

Simulation results demonstrate effective error correction capabilities.

The approach improves the stability of long ion chains in quantum computing.

Abstract

Neutral atom quantum computers and to a lesser extent trapped ions may suffer from atom loss. In this work, we investigate the impact of atom loss in long chains of trapped ions. Even though this is a relatively rare event, ion loss in long chains must be addressed because it destabilizes the entire chain resulting in the loss of all the qubits of the chain. We propose a solution to the chain loss problem based on (1) a quantum error correction code distributed over multiple long chains, (2) beacon qubits within each long chain to detect the loss of a chain, and (3) a decoder adapted to correct a combination of circuit faults and erasures after beacon qubits convert chain losses into erasures. We verify the chain loss correction capability of our scheme through circuit level simulations with a distributed $[[72,12,6]]$ BB code with beacon qubits.