Researchers from Microsoft and Qolab define Scalable Logical Qubits for useful quantum computers

Microsoft Quantum researchers are introducing the definition of scalable logical qubits, essential for quantum computers to move beyond limited demonstrations and tackle complex real-world problems, the company says. Utility-scale computing demands executing long algorithms with error rates physical qubits cannot sustain, necessitating error correction and the creation of logical qubits, preserved through repeated correction and capable of universal operations. "Logical qubits are needed to achieve this goal," say Matthias Troyer, Chetan Nayak, and John Martinis, outlining a need for hundreds or thousands of replicable logical qubits for applications like materials science and cryptanalysis. The team characterizes these qubits along dimensions of reliability, scale, capability, and performance, with a focus…