Variational Graphical Quantum Error Correction Codes: adjustable codes from topological insights

In this paper, we leverage the insights from Quon, a picture language for quantum information, to develop a new class of quantum error-correcting codes termed Variational Graphical Quantum Error Correction~(VGQEC) codes. The VGQEC codes feature adjustable configuration parameters that play a pivotal role in determining the error-correcting capability of the codes. This key feature offers remarkable flexibility in customizing high-quality quantum error-correcting codes for various noise models. For instance, we will present a specific VGQEC code that exhibits a seamless transition of parameters, enabling the smooth transformation of the code from the five-qubit repetition code to the [[5,1,3]] code, and furthermore, the new VGQEC code has a better performance than the above two well-known codes under certain noise models. Meanwhile, we also propose a general physical scheme to implement and optimize VGQEC codes in realistic quantum devices. Lastly, we apply our approach to amplitude damping noise, and by numerical calculations, we discover an unexpected novel three-qubit code that can effectively mitigate the noise.