Towards Software for Fault Tolerant Quantum Computing

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Jens Eisert; Professor Dr. Markus Müller; Professor Dr.-Ing. Robert Wille
• Subject Area: Hardware Systems and Architectures for Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Engineering Systems ; Software Engineering and Programming Languages
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 563402549

Building and operating large-scale quantum computers that are capable of running quantum applications that outperform classical supercomputers, or yield practical value, will require fault-tolerant quantum error correction. Since quantum systems are prone to decoherence, active detection and correction of errors during storage and processing of quantum information is essential to guarantee reliable computational output of quantum algorithms. Importantly, on the one hand this requires quantum error correcting codes that enable sufficiently powerful (universal) error-corrected quantum gate operation. On the other hand, implementation of these operations requires efficient quantum circuits which obey fault-tolerant design principles to prevent the uncontrollable proliferation of errors, and efficient decoders to classically process error syndrome information. However, most current state-of-the-art quantum circuit compilation and synthesis methods do not take error-correction and fault-tolerance into account at all – giving rise to a fatal gap between required and existing software for the operation of scalable error-corrected quantum computers. As a result, the construction of fault-tolerant quantum circuits is often performed manually (a tedious task which eventually is not scalable) and frequently ignores specific capabilities and constraints of actual physical quantum hardware. In this project, we aim to take first steps towards closing this severe gap by focusing on several concrete problems in the vast %eld of fault-tolerant circuit compilation. We accept that this challenge can only be reasonably tackled by bringing expertise from quantum information theory, physics, and software design together. We will develop methods that combine novel theoretical techniques, considerations from physical hardware constraints, as well as automated tools for fault-tolerant compilation. By this, we aim to lay the foundation for an envisioned comprehensive, automated circuit compilation framework for scalable fault-tolerant quantum computation.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 2514: Quantum Software, Algorithms and Systems - Concepts, Methods and Tools for the Quantum Software Stack