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    Achieving the Heisenberg limit using fault-tolerant quantum error correction

    Himanshu Sahu1,2,*, Qian Xu3,4, and Sisi Zhou1,2,5,†

    • 1Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 2Y5
    • 2Department of Physics and Astronomy and Institute for Quantum Computing, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
    • 3Institute for Quantum Information and Matter, Caltech, Pasadena, California 91125, USA
    • 4Walter Burke Institute for Theoretical Physics, Caltech, Pasadena, California 91125, USA
    • 5Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1

    • *Contact author: hsahu@pitp.ca
    • †Contact author: sisi.zhou26@gmail.com

    Phys. Rev. A 114, 032607 – Published 10 September, 2026

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/5wpc-w64n

    Abstract

    Quantum effect enables enhanced estimation precision in metrology, with the Heisenberg limit (HL) representing the ultimate limit allowed by quantum mechanics. Although the HL is generally unattainable in the presence of noise, quantum error correction (QEC) can recover the HL in various scenarios. A notable example is estimating a Pauli Z signal under bit-flip noise using the repetition code, which is both optimal for metrology and robust against noise. However, previous protocols often assume noise affects only the signal accumulation step, while the QEC operations, including state preparation and measurement, are noiseless. To overcome this limitation, we study fault-tolerant quantum metrology where all qubit operations are subject to noise. We focus on estimating a Pauli Z signal under bit-flip noise, together with state preparation and measurement errors in all QEC operations. We propose a fault-tolerant metrological protocol where a repetition code is prepared via repeated syndrome measurements, followed by a fault-tolerant logical measurement. We demonstrate the existence of an error threshold, below which errors are effectively suppressed and the HL is attained.

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