Researchers at MIT propose a new method which could provide a significant step forward in quantum error correction. It involves fine-tuning the system to address the kinds of noise that are the most likely, rather than casting a broad net to try to catch all possible sources of disturbance.
Classical error correction schemes are based on redundancy. The same essential principle could be applied with qubits. But, there are currently not as many available qubits to do particularly useful quantum error correction in the usual way. So instead, the researchers found a way to target the error correction very narrowly at the specific kinds of noise that were most prevalent.
The team found that the overwhelming majority of the noise affecting NV-center qubits came from one single source: random fluctuations in the nearby defects themselves. This noise source can be accurately modeled, and suppressing its effects could have a major impact, as other sources of noise are relatively insignificant.
The analysis is described in the journal Physical Review Letters. (SciTechDaily)