B Grade B

Google Willow: Logical error rate

1.43 × 10⁻³ error per cycle

As stated in the source: “0.143% ± 0.003% error per cycle (distance 7)”

Uncertainty: 0.0014 to 0.00146 (0.143% ± 0.003% as stated).

Caveats

This is one logical qubit stored as a quantum memory, not a logical qubit doing computation. The figure uses an offline decoder; real-time decoding was only shown at distance 5 with a higher error. The authors say rare correlated error events, about one per hour, limit performance.

Set-up
Distance-7 surface code memory using 101 qubits; QEC cycle time 1.1 µs; offline neural-network decoder. A distance-5 code with a real-time decoder reached 0.35% ± 0.01% per cycle.
Method
Surface code memory, logical error per cycle, neural-network decoder (offline)
Compared only with
results in the group “surface code d7 memory”
Measured
Not stated
Published
9 December 2024
Measured by
Google Quantum AI
Independent of the maker
No
Peer-reviewed
Yes
Repeated by others
Not yet

Source

Quantum error correction below the surface code threshold, Nature (Springer Nature); preprint arXiv:2408.13687. Peer-reviewed paper. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08449-y

Comparable results

Machine ValueSet-upPublishedMeasured byGradeRecord
Google Willow 7.72 × 10⁻⁴ surface code d7 memory 11 Nov 2025 Maker B r-000002

History

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