Realization of Surface Code Quantum Memory on Systems with Always-On Interactions

Abstract: We realize Surface Code quantum memories for nearest-neighbor qubits with always-on Ising interactions. This is done by utilizing multi-qubit gates that mimic the functionality of several gates. The previously proposed Surface Code memories rely on error syndrome detection circuits based on CNOT gates. In a two-dimensional planar architecture, to realize a two-qubit CNOT gate in the presence of couplings to other neighboring qubits, the interaction of the target qubit with its three other neighbors must cancel out. Here we present a new error syndrome detection circuit utilizing multi-qubit parity gates. In addition to speed up in the error correction cycles, in our approach, the depth of the error syndrome detection circuit does not grow by increasing the number of qubits in the logical qubit layout. We analytically design the system parameters to realize new five-qubit gates suitable for error syndrome detection in nearest-neighbor two-dimensional array of qubits. The five-qubit gates are designed such that the middle qubit is the target qubit and all four coupled neighbors are the control qubits. In our scheme, only one control parameter of the target qubits must be adjusted to realize controlled-unitary operations. The gate operations are confirmed with a fidelity of >99.9% in a simulated system consists of nine nearest-neighbor qubits.