China achieves major breakthrough in quantum error correction, bringing practical quantum computing closer
A research team led by Academician Pan Jianwei at the University of Science and Technology of China has achieved a significant milestone in quantum error correction, marking a major step toward practical quantum computing. According to recent reports, the team successfully demonstrated a system operating below the error‑correction threshold, achieving what they describe as a state where the more errors are corrected, the more accurate the system becomes.
In 2025, the university introduced a new full‑microwave quantum state leakage‑suppression architecture built on the 107‑qubit Zu Chongzhi 3.2 quantum processor. Compared with the previous generation, the processor delivers across‑the‑board improvements in single‑qubit gate accuracy, two‑qubit gate accuracy, and readout precision.
Building on these performance gains, the researchers combined the new microwave‑based suppression architecture with surface‑code techniques to construct a logical qubit with a code distance of 7. As the code distance increased, the logical error rate dropped significantly, confirming that the system was operating below the critical error‑correction threshold. This demonstrates that the team successfully achieved the long‑sought goal of making error correction increasingly effective as the system scales.
Achieving below‑threshold quantum error correction has been a core objective for the global quantum computing community for many years. It is considered one of the key milestones required to transition quantum computers from experimental prototypes to practical, scalable machines. The new technical approach introduced by the Chinese research team also provides a promising pathway toward future quantum computers with qubit counts in the millions.
The breakthrough comes from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), one of the country's most prestigious research institutions and a global leader in quantum science. USTC has been at the forefront of quantum communication, quantum computing, and quantum physics research for more than two decades. The university's teams, including the group led by Pan Jianwei, have produced several world‑first achievements in quantum networks, quantum satellites, and superconducting quantum processors, establishing China as a major force in next‑generation computing technologies.
