Encoder Circuit Optimization for Non-Binary Quantum Error Correction Codes in Prime Dimensions: An Algorithmic Framework

Abstract: Quantum computers are a revolutionary class of computational platforms with applications in combinatorial and global optimization, machine learning, and other domains involving computationally hard problems. While these machines typically operate on qubits, which are quantum information elements that can occupy superpositions of the basis states 0 and 1, recent advances have demonstrated the practical implementation of higher-dimensional quantum systems (qudits) across various hardware platforms. In these hardware realizations, the higher-order states are less stable and thus remain coherent for a shorter duration than the basis 0 and 1 states. Moreover, formal methods for designing efficient encoder circuits for these systems remain underexplored. This limitation motivates the development of efficient circuit techniques for qudit systems (d-level quantum systems). Previous works have typically established generating gate sets for higher-dimensional codes by generalizing the methods used for qubits. In this work, we introduce a systematic framework for optimizing encoder circuits for prime-dimension stabilizer codes. This framework is based on novel generating gate sets whose elements map directly to efficient Clifford gate sequences. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this method on key codes, achieving a 13-44 percent reduction in encoder circuit gate count for the qutrit (d = 3) codes [[9,5,3]], [[5,1,3]], and [[7,1,3]], and a 9-21 percent reduction for the ququint (d = 5) code [[10,6,3]] when compared to prior work. We also achieved circuit depth reductions up to 42 percent.