Computer Science Challenges in Quantum Computing: Early Fault-Tolerance and Beyond

TL;DR

This paper discusses how early fault-tolerance in quantum computing shifts focus from hardware to computer science, emphasizing system design, algorithms, and error correction for near-term quantum systems.

Contribution

It identifies key research challenges in algorithms, error correction, software, and architecture for early fault-tolerant quantum computing.

Findings

Early fault-tolerance shifts bottlenecks to system design

Near-term quantum systems require advances in algorithms and error correction

Key research challenges are organized around fundamental questions in four areas

Abstract

Quantum computing is entering a period in which progress will be shaped as much by advances in computer science as by improvements in hardware. The central thesis of this report is that early fault-tolerant quantum computing shifts many of the primary bottlenecks from device physics alone to computer-science-driven system design, integration, and evaluation. While large-scale, fully fault-tolerant quantum computers remain a long-term objective, near- and medium-term systems will support early fault-tolerant computation with small numbers of logical qubits and tight constraints on error rates, connectivity, latency, and classical control. How effectively such systems can be used will depend on advances across algorithms, error correction, software, and architecture. This report identifies key research challenges for computer scientists and organizes them around these four areas, each centered on a fundamental question.