Scientists for the first time implemented distillation of magic states on logical qubits

Quantum technology researchers have reported an important experimental achievement that can significantly advance the development of full-fledged and scalable quantum computing systems. For the first time, we successfully distilled magic states on logical qubits, a key component for implementing universal quantum algorithms that are error — resistant.

Magic states play a critical role in ensuring the computational completeness of quantum systems. They are necessary for performing nonlinear quantum operations that cannot be implemented within the so-called Clifford group of operations. Without using such states, it is impossible to achieve functionality that exceeds the capabilities of classical supercomputers. Until now, attempts to distill magic states were limited to physical qubits-elements that are vulnerable to errors, which significantly reduced the reliability of calculations.

The breakthrough was achieved on the Gemini quantum platform, created using neutral atoms. During the experiment, a scheme was used with error correction codes at distances of 3 and 5 — these parameters determine the ability of logical qubits to detect and eliminate one or two errors, respectively. Out of five physical, non-ideal magical states, researchers managed to obtain one high-quality logical resource suitable for performing universal operations. This became possible thanks to the implementation of error correction mechanisms already at the level of logical elements.

This achievement confirms the practical feasibility of the concept of logic qubits with magic states, proposed in theoretical works more than 20 years ago. It means that quantum computing can be not only theoretically possible, but also reliable, scalable, and applicable to real — world problems-from modeling chemical processes to optimizing logistics systems and developing new drugs.

As Sergio Cantu, vice president of the quantum platform development company and co-author of the paper, notes, magic states are necessary to run any practically useful quantum algorithm. Up to this point, the question of whether their distillation is possible at logical levels remained open. Now this issue is closed: the technology has been confirmed experimentally.

The next challenge for the research community is to move from laboratory prototypes to fully functional quantum computers that can perform calculations that are inaccessible to even the most productive classical systems. Working with logic qubits equipped with magic states is the key to such a future.