Color code thresholds under circuit-level noise beyond the Pauli framework

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Barone, Francesco Pio, Jaschke, Daniel, Siloi, Ilaria, Montangero, Simone
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Barone, Francesco Pio
Jaschke, Daniel
Siloi, Ilaria
Montangero, Simone
author_facet Barone, Francesco Pio
Jaschke, Daniel
Siloi, Ilaria
Montangero, Simone
contents A quantum error correction code is assessed over its ability to correct errors in noisy quantum circuits. This task requires extensive simulations of faulty quantum circuits, which are often made tractable by considering stochastic Pauli noise models, as they are compatible with efficient classical simulation techniques. However, such noise models do not fully capture the variety of physical error mechanisms encountered in realistic quantum platforms. In this work, we extend circuit-level noise modeling beyond the Pauli framework by estimating the threshold of the color code under more general noise models. Specifically, we consider two representative non-Pauli error channels: a systematic $X$-rotation model that introduces coherent over-rotations, and an amplitude damping channel that captures relaxation processes. These models are incorporated at the circuit level into color code circuits using a Tree Tensor Network ansatz. Our simulations demonstrate that tensor network simulations enable accurate threshold estimation under non-Pauli noise for color codes up to distance $d=7$ (73 qubits). Comparing our results with the Pauli twirling approximations of the noise models, we find that coherent over-rotations yield systematically higher error rates, deviating from the Pauli twirling approximation as the code distance increases.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_05719
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Color code thresholds under circuit-level noise beyond the Pauli framework
Barone, Francesco Pio
Jaschke, Daniel
Siloi, Ilaria
Montangero, Simone
Quantum Physics
A quantum error correction code is assessed over its ability to correct errors in noisy quantum circuits. This task requires extensive simulations of faulty quantum circuits, which are often made tractable by considering stochastic Pauli noise models, as they are compatible with efficient classical simulation techniques. However, such noise models do not fully capture the variety of physical error mechanisms encountered in realistic quantum platforms. In this work, we extend circuit-level noise modeling beyond the Pauli framework by estimating the threshold of the color code under more general noise models. Specifically, we consider two representative non-Pauli error channels: a systematic $X$-rotation model that introduces coherent over-rotations, and an amplitude damping channel that captures relaxation processes. These models are incorporated at the circuit level into color code circuits using a Tree Tensor Network ansatz. Our simulations demonstrate that tensor network simulations enable accurate threshold estimation under non-Pauli noise for color codes up to distance $d=7$ (73 qubits). Comparing our results with the Pauli twirling approximations of the noise models, we find that coherent over-rotations yield systematically higher error rates, deviating from the Pauli twirling approximation as the code distance increases.
title Color code thresholds under circuit-level noise beyond the Pauli framework
topic Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.05719