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What is NISQ?

Short for Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum: intermediate-scale quantum computers with noise (errors) that do not perform full-scale error correction. The term was proposed by John Preskill in 2018. Because the depth of circuit they can run is limited by gate error rates, error mitigation and methods that combine quantum and classical computation are being studied.

Japanese name: NISQ

NISQ appears in 1 practice question across 1 topic, including Quantum Computing Hardware.

Field: Quantum Computing Hardware

Try it: questions about NISQ

Which correctly describes the kind of quantum computer called NISQ?

  1. AA large-scale quantum computer that performs full error correction and runs quantum circuits of any length without errors
  2. BAn intermediate-scale quantum computer with noise (errors) that does not perform full-scale error correction
  3. CA device that simulates quantum circuits on a classical computer without using qubits
Show answer and explanation

Answer: B. An intermediate-scale quantum computer with noise (errors) that does not perform full-scale error correction

NISQ stands for Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum, a term proposed in 2018 by the physicist John Preskill. Such devices have enough qubits to make simulation on classical computers difficult, but because they do not perform full-scale error correction, the depth of circuit they can run is limited by the gate error rates. For NISQ devices, researchers are studying error mitigation, which estimates the effect of errors and reduces it in post-processing, and methods that combine quantum and classical computation. Large-scale machines that perform error correction are distinguished as fault-tolerant quantum computers (FTQC).

NISQ in the explanations

Questions that mention NISQ (1)

  1. Which correctly describes the kind of quantum computer called NISQ?

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Related terms

Qubit Decoherence Dilution refrigerator Ion trap Josephson junction Post-quantum cryptography Quantum entanglement Quantum error correction Quantum gate Quantum superposition

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