Virtual quantum error detection

Abstract: Quantum error correction and quantum error detection necessitate syndrome measurements to detect errors. Performing syndrome measurements for each stabilizer generator can be a significant overhead, considering the fact that the readout fidelity in the current quantum hardware is generally lower than gate fidelity. Here, by generalizing a quantum error mitigation method known as symmetry expansion, we propose a protocol called virtual quantum error detection (VQED). This method virtually allows for evaluating computation results corresponding to post-selected quantum states obtained through quantum error detection during circuit execution, without implementing syndrome measurements. Unlike conventional quantum error detection, which requires the implementation of Hadamard test circuits for each stabilizer generator, our VQED protocol can be performed with a constant depth shallow quantum circuit with an ancilla qubit, irrespective of the number of stabilizer generators. Furthermore, for some simple error models, the computation results obtained using VQED are robust against the noise that occurred during the operation of VQED, and our method is fully compatible with other error mitigation schemes, enabling further improvements in computation accuracy and facilitating high-fidelity quantum computing.