Scientists Move a Step Toward Quantum Computers That Can Correct Their Own Mistakes

The advance is a critical step toward building larger, more reliable quantum computers.

Today’s quantum computers operate according to the unusual rules governing atoms and other extremely small particles.

The experiment is among the largest demonstrations to date of real-time quantum feedback control, a capability considered essential for future quantum computers that will be fault tolerant.

Scaling quantum computers will require them to identify and correct errors while they are working, a capability known as error correction, which will allow for the construction of a fault-tolerant quantum computer.

A fault-tolerant quantum computer is a quantum computer that can keep computing correctly even though its individual quantum bits are constantly making small mistakes.