A Two-Branch Finite-Field Construction for Regular CSS LDPC Bases
2026-05-22 • Information Theory
Information Theory
AI summaryⓘ
The authors present a new way to build special quantum error-correcting codes called CSS codes with certain regular patterns, which helps control error detection and correction. They break the design process into two parts: creating a base matrix that sets some code properties, and then applying a lifting step that adds complexity while preserving important features. They tested this method on a specific example code, showing it can correct errors efficiently and achieve very low error rates in simulations. Their approach also includes a smart decoding method that improves error correction by fixing small leftover mistakes after the main decoding.
CSS codesquantum error correctionlow-density parity-check (LDPC)finite fieldgirthTanner graphbelief propagationdepolarizing channelpost-processingquantum code lifting
Authors
Koki Okada, Kenta Kasai
Abstract
This paper develops a two-branch multiplicative-coset construction for regular Calderbank-Shor-Steane (CSS) quantum low-density parity-check base matrices. For a target column weight \(J\) and an even row weight \(L\), the method reduces regularity, CSS orthogonality, and same-type 4-cycle exclusion to explicit quotient-coset conditions over a finite field. A normalized exhaustive search for these conditions produces base matrices for several \((J,L)\) pairs, so the construction is not tied to a single degree distribution. The construction separates the finite-length design into two stages: the base matrix fixes the degree distribution and the first girth constraints, and a cyclic lift randomizes edge connections subject to exact algebraic checks. As a detailed example, we carry one \((3,10)\)-regular base through the lift and decoding stages. For this example, the selected 64-fold lift gives a code whose same-type Tanner graphs have girth at least eight, and it also excludes a specified weight-16 nondegenerate logical-support orbit. The resulting instance is a \([[10240,4108,\,10\le d\le32]]\) CSS code. For decoding, we use joint log-domain belief propagation together with low-complexity deterministic post-processing rules for small residual syndromes, including repairs for residual patterns with two unsatisfied checks. The frame error rate (FER) measurements provide finite-length decoding data for this detailed example; at depolarizing probability \(p=0.058\), the post-processing FER is \(1.0\times10^{-7}\).