Quantum Steering of Surface Error Correcting Codes

Surface codes provide a promising path towards large-scale fault-tolerant quantum computers. However, outside the difficulty in engineering qubits, their theoretical realization is hindered by a number of technical implementation details, including the initialization of an encoded quantum state on contemporary quantum computers. We propose a solution to overcome these challenges by utilizing recent theoretical developments in measurement-induced quantum steering. An encoded quantum state is prepared by repeatedly performing the following steps: (1) entangling qubits via a specifically chosen operation, (2) performing measurement on some of the qubits, and (3) resetting the measured qubits' states. We demonstrate our results using numerical simulations of surface codes, noting convergence of state fidelity, and commenting on choices for parameter selection.