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Surface code scaling on heavy-hex superconducting quantum processors

Arian Vezvaee; Cesar Benito; Mario Morford-Oberst; Alejandro Bermudez; Daniel A. Lidar · Nature Communications · 2026 · Superconducting quantum-processor experiment and modelling

Original publication · Original publication · Original publication · Original publication

Recorded summary

The authors combine surface-code layouts and pulse control on IBM heavy-hex processors. Increasing code size along one direction improves protection of particular logical states. Their analysis shows why both state directions and coherent noise matter when assessing error suppression.

Recorded limitations

Directional improvements do not establish general below-threshold scaling. The paper identifies further noise reduction needed for balanced scaling. It does not test Fibonacci or M9 P24 sequences.

Evidence and provenance

Chapter Trust Factor uses a minimum of three distinct qualifying studies. Publication records retain their own evidence and assessment.

Study design and assessment
design
Superconducting quantum-processor experiment and modelling
assessment
category
peer-reviewed
peer Reviewed
true
basis
Superconducting quantum-processor experiment and modelling. This is not a clinical efficacy trial.
sources

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-76090-6 · https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-76090-6 · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42660895/ · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13522603/

reviewed At
2026-10-26
trust Factor
score
1
scope
Paper
status
assessed
randomized Controlled Trial
Not recorded
blinding
not-confirmed
peer Reviewed
true
basis
Superconducting quantum-processor experiment and modelling. This is not a clinical efficacy trial.
sources

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42660895/ · https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-76090-6 · https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-76090-6 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13522603/

review Scope
Existing publication-specific assessments and bibliographic indexing; no blanket full-text appraisal.
assessed At
2026-10-27
jadad
status
not-applicable
score
Not recorded
reason
Not a human randomised clinical trial.
evidence
evidence Type
Superconducting quantum-processor experiment and modelling
evidence Class
quantum_hardware_experiment
measurement
Code embedding, SWAP operations and dynamical decoupling on a constrained hardware graph.
relationship Note
Evaluate several initial states and an information-preservation metric; avoid declaring success from one favourable response or direction.
clinical Evidence
false
review Depth
Publisher or author abstract and bibliographic metadata; selected explanatory sections where available.
hypothesis Boundary
Connections to M9 P24, Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Epsilon remain research hypotheses. Shared geometry does not establish a shared physical mechanism.
Topics and recorded topic scores
  1. key
    general:quantum-error-correction
    title
    Honeycomb codes and heavy-hex hardware
    collection
    general
    trust Score
    Not recorded
Citation snapshot and identifiers
id
quantum-heavy-hex-scaling-2026
doi
10.1038/s41467-026-76090-6
pmid
42660895
citation Snapshot
count
2
source
Crossref
retrieved At
2026-10-26
citations By Collection
general
2
Complete approved library record
id
quantum-heavy-hex-scaling-2026
publication Key
doi:10.1038/s41467-026-76090-6
aliases
None recorded
title
Surface code scaling on heavy-hex superconducting quantum processors
journal
Nature Communications
publisher Family
nature
publisher Family Label
Nature Portfolio
neurotransmitters
None recorded
year
2026
authors
Arian Vezvaee; Cesar Benito; Mario Morford-Oberst; Alejandro Bermudez; Daniel A. Lidar
design
Superconducting quantum-processor experiment and modelling
kind
Journal article
identity Conflict
Not recorded
doi
10.1038/s41467-026-76090-6
pmid
42660895
urls

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-76090-6 · https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-76090-6 · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42660895/ · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13522603/

collections

general

categories

Quantum computing · Geometry and information

targets
None recorded
priority
1
quotes
None recorded
summary
The authors combine surface-code layouts and pulse control on IBM heavy-hex processors. Increasing code size along one direction improves protection of particular logical states. Their analysis shows why both state directions and coherent noise matter when assessing error suppression.
limitation
Directional improvements do not establish general below-threshold scaling. The paper identifies further noise reduction needed for balanced scaling. It does not test Fibonacci or M9 P24 sequences.
citation Count
2
citation Snapshot
count
2
source
Crossref
retrieved At
2026-10-26
study Design Assessment
category
peer-reviewed
peer Reviewed
true
basis
Superconducting quantum-processor experiment and modelling. This is not a clinical efficacy trial.
sources

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-76090-6 · https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-76090-6 · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42660895/ · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13522603/

reviewed At
2026-10-26
paper Trust Assessment
score
1
scope
Paper
status
assessed
randomized Controlled Trial
Not recorded
blinding
not-confirmed
peer Reviewed
true
basis
Superconducting quantum-processor experiment and modelling. This is not a clinical efficacy trial.
sources

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42660895/ · https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-76090-6 · https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-76090-6 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13522603/

review Scope
Existing publication-specific assessments and bibliographic indexing; no blanket full-text appraisal.
assessed At
2026-10-27
citations By Collection
general
2
topics
  1. key
    general:quantum-error-correction
    title
    Honeycomb codes and heavy-hex hardware
    collection
    general
    trust Score
    Not recorded
journal Key
naturecommunications
journal Label
Nature Communications
chapter Entries
  1. id
    general-quantum-error-correction-quantum-heavy-hex-scaling-2026
    title
    Surface code scaling on heavy-hex superconducting quantum processors
    doi
    10.1038/s41467-026-76090-6
    pmid
    42660895
    journal
    Nature Communications
    year
    2026
    published
    2026-07-29
    authors
    Arian Vezvaee; Cesar Benito; Mario Morford-Oberst; Alejandro Bermudez; Daniel A. Lidar
    urls

    https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-76090-6 · https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-76090-6 · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42660895/ · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13522603/

    collections

    general

    categories

    Quantum computing · Geometry and information

    targets
    None recorded
    origin
    geometry-literature-20261026
    priority
    1
    kind
    Journal article
    design
    Superconducting quantum-processor experiment and modelling
    summary
    The authors combine surface-code layouts and pulse control on IBM heavy-hex processors. Increasing code size along one direction improves protection of particular logical states. Their analysis shows why both state directions and coherent noise matter when assessing error suppression.
    finding
    The authors combine surface-code layouts and pulse control on IBM heavy-hex processors. Increasing code size along one direction improves protection of particular logical states. Their analysis shows why both state directions and coherent noise matter when assessing error suppression.
    limitation
    Directional improvements do not establish general below-threshold scaling. The paper identifies further noise reduction needed for balanced scaling. It does not test Fibonacci or M9 P24 sequences.
    citation Count
    2
    citation Snapshot
    count
    2
    source
    Crossref
    retrieved At
    2026-10-26
    study Design Assessment
    category
    peer-reviewed
    peer Reviewed
    true
    basis
    Superconducting quantum-processor experiment and modelling. This is not a clinical efficacy trial.
    sources

    https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-76090-6 · https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-76090-6 · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42660895/ · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13522603/

    reviewed At
    2026-10-26
    evidence
    evidence Type
    Superconducting quantum-processor experiment and modelling
    evidence Class
    quantum_hardware_experiment
    measurement
    Code embedding, SWAP operations and dynamical decoupling on a constrained hardware graph.
    relationship Note
    Evaluate several initial states and an information-preservation metric; avoid declaring success from one favourable response or direction.
    clinical Evidence
    false
    review Depth
    Publisher or author abstract and bibliographic metadata; selected explanatory sections where available.
    hypothesis Boundary
    Connections to M9 P24, Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Epsilon remain research hypotheses. Shared geometry does not establish a shared physical mechanism.
    jadad
    status
    not-applicable
    score
    Not recorded
    reason
    Not a human randomised clinical trial.
    quotes
    None recorded
    archive Entries
    None recorded
    verified At
    2026-10-26
    source Provenance
    origin
    Verified follow-up to Gemini research notes
    notion Page
    https://app.notion.com/p/4047b9c99c5680ddb35ec2e2edf83ee4
    reviewed At
    2026-10-26
    publisher Family
    nature
    publisher Family Label
    Nature Portfolio
    record Id
    quantum-heavy-hex-scaling-2026
    source Pages
    None recorded
    paper Trust Assessment
    score
    1
    scope
    Paper
    status
    assessed
    randomized Controlled Trial
    Not recorded
    blinding
    not-confirmed
    peer Reviewed
    true
    basis
    Superconducting quantum-processor experiment and modelling. This is not a clinical efficacy trial.
    sources

    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42660895/ · https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-76090-6 · https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-76090-6 · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13522603/

    review Scope
    Existing publication-specific assessments and bibliographic indexing; no blanket full-text appraisal.
    assessed At
    2026-10-27
    publication Key
    doi:10.1038/s41467-026-76090-6
    collection
    general
    chapter Number
    10
    topic Id
    quantum-error-correction
    topic Title
    Honeycomb codes and heavy-hex hardware
    trust Score
    Not recorded
evidence
evidence Type
Superconducting quantum-processor experiment and modelling
evidence Class
quantum_hardware_experiment
measurement
Code embedding, SWAP operations and dynamical decoupling on a constrained hardware graph.
relationship Note
Evaluate several initial states and an information-preservation metric; avoid declaring success from one favourable response or direction.
clinical Evidence
false
review Depth
Publisher or author abstract and bibliographic metadata; selected explanatory sections where available.
hypothesis Boundary
Connections to M9 P24, Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Epsilon remain research hypotheses. Shared geometry does not establish a shared physical mechanism.
jadad
status
not-applicable
score
Not recorded
reason
Not a human randomised clinical trial.
condition Evidence
None recorded
conditions
None recorded
topic Trust Scores
None recorded
full Text
status
curated-record
retrieval Available
false
url
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-76090-6
checked At
2026-10-26
indexed Content
Verified metadata and original research summary are indexed. Full article text is not indexed in this update.

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