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Effective fault-tolerant quantum computation with slow measurements
David P DiVincenzo1, Panos Aliferis
1IBM Research Division, T. J. Watson Research Center, P.O. Box 218, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|March 16, 2007
Summary
Fast measurement is not critical for fault-tolerant quantum computation. Even slow measurements (over 1000 gate times) minimally impact quantum accuracy thresholds, indicating scalability is achievable.
Area of Science:
- Quantum Information Science
- Quantum Computation
Background:
- Fault-tolerant quantum computation relies on accurate measurements.
- Measurement speed is a potential bottleneck in quantum computing hardware.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the impact of slow measurement times on the quantum accuracy threshold for fault-tolerant quantum computation.
- To assess if slow, unavoidable measurements hinder quantum computer scalability.
Main Methods:
- Analysis combining existing theoretical frameworks with novel approaches.
- Quantifying the effect of measurement duration on error rates and threshold values.
Main Results:
- Measurement times exceeding 1000 gate times show minimal negative effects on the quantum accuracy threshold.
- The impact of slow measurements on computational fidelity is less significant than previously assumed.
Conclusions:
- Slow measurement, often considered an implementation challenge, does not present a fundamental barrier to scaling quantum computers.
- The findings support the feasibility of building large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers despite current measurement speed limitations.
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