IonQ demonstrates real-time quantum error decoding running on a standard CPU

IonQ/Tempo and 2D-chip roadmap

IonQ showed an error-correction decoder, the classical software that works out which errors occurred so they can be corrected, keeping up in real time on one ordinary off-the-shelf CPU. If decoding falls behind, the quantum computer has to wait, so this suggests decoding need not become a bottleneck as machines grow. The test used simulated circuits, not a real quantum computer.

• The benchmark covered up to 408 logical qubits in 88 memory blocks and 'magic state' factories, over 31.5 million operations.
• Decoding added as little as 0.02% to total run time.
• Circuits were simulated under standard noise assumptions; the work is posted on arXiv and supports IonQ's 'Walking Cat' architecture.