scalable-open-source-qec-system

name	scalable-open-source-qec-system
category	ai_collection
description	Open-source QEC system architecture using RISC-V-based quantum control with sub-microsecond decoding-feedback latency. FPGA-implemented distributed multi-board architecture for superconducting qubits.
tags	["quantum-error-correction","systems-engineering","FPGA","RISC-V","distributed-architecture"]
arxiv_id	2603.16203
arxiv_url	https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.16203
trigger_words	["QEC system","quantum error correction system","RISC-V quantum control","RFSoC FPGA","sub-microsecond decoding","distributed quantum control","surface code decoder","syndrome decoding"]

Scalable Open-Source QEC System Architecture

Overview

A fully integrated Quantum Error Correction (QEC) system built on RISC-Q, a generator for RISC-V-based quantum control architectures. Implemented on RFSoC FPGAs with real-time qubit control, distributed multi-board architecture, and hardware QEC decoder.

Core Architecture

1. RISC-Q Control Architecture

• RISC-V-based quantum control processor generator
• Customizable instruction set for quantum operations
• Low-latency real-time control loop

2. Distributed Multi-Board Architecture

• Scalable across multiple AMD ZCU216 RFSoC boards
• High-speed inter-board communication for syndrome aggregation
• Distributed syndrome decoding pipeline

3. Low-Latency Decoding Pipeline

• End-to-end latency: 446 ns for distance-3 surface code
• Includes: syndrome aggregation → network communication → syndrome decoding → error distribution
• Sub-microsecond latency projected up to distance-21 (~881 physical qubits)

4. Hardware Components

• RFSoC FPGAs: AMD ZCU216 for high-speed digital signal processing
• Real-time qubit control: Microwave pulse generation and readout
• Syndrome aggregation: Multi-qubit parity measurement collection
• Hardware decoder: Dedicated FPGA logic for fast decoding

Performance Metrics

Metric	Value
Distance-3 latency	446 ns
Max projected distance	21
Max projected qubits	~881
Hardware platform	AMD ZCU216 RFSoC

Implementation Steps

1. RISC-Q Configuration: Generate custom RISC-V control processor
2. FPGA Implementation: Synthesize on RFSoC hardware
3. Multi-Board Setup: Configure distributed architecture
4. Decoding Pipeline: Implement syndrome aggregation and decoding
5. Integration Testing: Validate end-to-end latency

Application

Use when:

• Designing real-time QEC systems for superconducting qubits
• Building FPGA-based quantum control hardware
• Scaling QEC to 100+ physical qubits
• Implementing low-latency syndrome decoding