Performance Analysis of Quantum CSS Error-Correcting Codes via MacWilliams Identities

Abstract: Quantum error correcting codes are of primary interest for the evolution towards quantum computing and quantum Internet. We analyze the performance of stabilizer codes, one of the most important classes for practical implementations, on both symmetric and asymmetric quantum channels. To this aim, we first derive the weight enumerator (WE) for the undetectable errors based on the quantum MacWilliams identities. The WE is then used to evaluate tight upper bounds on the error rate of CSS quantum codes with minimum weight decoding. For surface codes we also derive a simple closed form expression of the bounds over the depolarizing channel. Finally, we introduce a novel approach that combines the knowledge of WE with a logical operator analysis. This method allows the derivation of the exact asymptotic performance for short codes. For example, on a depolarizing channel with physical error rate $\rho \to 0$ it is found that the logical error rate $\rho_\mathrm{L}$ is asymptotically $\rho_\mathrm{L} \approx 16 \rho^2$ for the $[[9,1,3]]$ Shor code, $\rho_\mathrm{L} \approx 16.3 \rho^2$ for the $[[7,1,3]]$ Steane code, $\rho_\mathrm{L} \approx 18.7 \rho^2$ for the $[[13,1,3]]$ surface code, and $\rho_\mathrm{L} \approx 149.3 \rho^3$ for the $[[41,1,5]]$ surface code. For larger codes our bound provides $\rho_\mathrm{L} \approx 1215 \rho^4$ and $\rho_\mathrm{L} \approx 663 \rho^5$ for the $[[85,1,7]]$ and the $[[181,1,10]]$ surface codes, respectively.