Tailoring Dynamical Codes for Biased Noise: The X$^3$Z$^3$ Floquet Code

Abstract: We propose the X$^3$Z$^3$ Floquet code, a type of dynamical code with improved performance under biased noise compared to other Floquet codes. The enhanced performance is attributed to a simplified decoding problem resulting from a persistent symmetry under infinitely biased noise, which surprisingly exists in a code without constant stabilisers. Even if such a symmetry is allowed, we prove that a general dynamical code with two-qubit parity measurements cannot admit one-dimensional decoding graphs, a key feature resulting in the high performance of bias-tailored stabiliser codes. Despite this limitation, we demonstrate through our comprehensive numerical simulations that the symmetry of the X$^3$Z$^3$ Floquet code renders its performance under biased noise far better than several leading Floquet code candidates. Furthermore, to maintain high-performance implementation in hardwares without native two-qubit parity measurements, we introduce ancilla-assisted bias-preserving parity measurement circuits. Our work establishes the X$^3$Z$^3$ code as a prime quantum error-correcting code candidate, particularly for devices with reduced connectivity, such as the honeycomb and heavy-hexagonal architectures.