Taming Rydberg Decay with Measurement-Based Quantum Computation

Area of Science:

• Quantum Computing
• Atomic Physics
• Quantum Error Correction

Background:

• Neutral atom arrays are promising for fault-tolerant quantum computing.
• Qubit leakage and loss, particularly Rydberg decay during two-qubit gates, are major error sources.
• Propagated leakage errors degrade quantum error correction code performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel method for mitigating Rydberg decay errors in neutral atom quantum computers.
• To leverage measurement-based quantum computation and topological cluster states for error localization.
• To avoid complex midcircuit leakage detection for broader applicability.

Main Methods:

• Utilized measurement-based quantum computation with topological cluster states.
• Employed final leakage detection to identify propagated errors from Rydberg decay.
• Focused on the Rb atom platform for demonstration.

Main Results:

• Achieved a high error threshold of 3.65% per CZ gate for pure Rydberg decay.
• Demonstrated a favorable effective error distance (d_e ≈ d).
• Showed comparable or marginally better subthreshold performance than state-of-the-art erasure conversion protocols with reduced experimental overhead.

Conclusions:

• The proposed method effectively addresses Rydberg decay errors using measurement-based quantum computation.
• The scheme offers broader applicability by eliminating the need for atom-species-specific midcircuit leakage detection.
• This approach provides a promising strategy for enhancing fault tolerance in neutral atom quantum computers.