Error-corrected qubits 800 times more reliable after breakthrough, paving the way for ‘next level’ of quantum computing

Scientists have created a set of “logical qubits” that have error rates 800 times lower than physical qubits — paving the way for useful, fault-tolerant quantum computers in the near future.

Quantum bits, or qubits, are inherently prone to error — this susceptibility is described as being “noisy.” Creating logical qubits is one way of solving this. These are a collection of physical qubits that are tied through quantum entanglement — and they reduce errors by storing the same information in different places. This spreads out the possible points of failure while a calculation is underway.