The ability to perform entangling quantum operations with low error rates in a scalable fashion is a central element of useful quantum information processing1. Neutral-atom arrays have recently emerged as a promising quantum computing platform, featuring coherent control over hundreds of qubits2,3 and any-to-any gate connectivity in a flexible, dynamically reconfigurable architecture4. The main outstanding challenge has been to reduce errors in entangling operations mediated through Rydberg interactions5. Here we report the realization of two-qubit entangling gates with 99.5% fidelity on up to 60 atoms in parallel, surpassing the surface-code threshold for error correction6,7. Our method uses fast, single-pulse gates based on optimal control8, atomic dark states to reduce scattering9 and improvements to Rydberg excitation and atom cooling. We benchmark fidelity using several methods based on repeated gate applications10,11, characterize the physical error sources and outline future improvements. Finally, we generalize our method to design entangling gates involving a higher number of qubits, which we demonstrate by realizing low-error three-qubit gates12,13. By enabling high-fidelity operation in a scalable, highly connected system, these advances lay the groundwork for large-scale implementation of quantum algorithms14, error-corrected circuits7 and digital simulations15.
© 2023. The Author(s).