Quantum Error Correction (QEC) company Riverlane has streamed a new channel of learning technology to market in the shape of Deltakit. This is an open source software platform for quantum developers to learn, develop and adopt real-time QEC on quantum computers.
What is quantum error correction?
Quantum Error Correction is a set of techniques and method used by software application developers and data scientists to protect fragile quantum information from errors caused by noise, decoherence or imperfect operations in a quantum computer. In terms of operation, QEC encodes the information of a single qubit (a quantum bit, existing in a superposition of states) across multiple physical qubits (see below), which enables the wider system to detect and correct errors without destroying the “quantum state” of the complete machine.
To complete this definition, we can explain logical qubits as an abstract unit of quantum information, rather like a bit in binary computing and a physical qubit as an actual physical system (e.g. superconducting circuit, trapped ion, photon, spin) that encodes a qubit.
What is Deltakit?
Deltakit is the software complement to Deltaflow, Riverlane’s real-time QEC hardware technology.
Together, the company says that these technologies provide quantum practitioners (quantum-level software development engineers, such as those found at national laboratories and high-performance computer (HPC) facilities) with the resources to build QEC expertise and run real-time decoding experiments.
Deltakit combines two core components: a software development kit (SDK) with a library of codes, decoders, quantum noise models and QEC experiments; and the Deltakit Textbook, which takes quantum computing practitioners on an interactive, hands-on QEC learning journey from theory to practice. With Deltakit, developers can now learn QEC, test methods and run experiments.
Why are quantum states so fragile?
Steve Brierley, CEO of Riverlane reminds us that quantum computers promise new and as-yet-unexplored breakthroughs in fields such as materials discovery and drug design. They will solve problems far beyond the reach of today’s most powerful supercomputers, but their underlying qubits are extremely sensitive to environmental noise, interference and hardware instability, resulting in a high volume of data errors. To succeed at scale, quantum computers require sophisticated real-time QEC infrastructure to identify and correct millions, and ultimately billions, of errors every second.
While the need for QEC is universally recognised, the quantum computing ecosystem still lacks the skills and tools to implement it effectively. Riverlane’s 2025 Quantum Error Correction Survey suggested that 95% of quantum computing professionals believe QEC is essential. Yet 82% cite (1) limited training and knowledge, (2) the lack of best practices, and (3) difficulty accessing resources and support, as the top three blockers preventing QEC implementation.
Deltakit addresses this challenge by providing a unified software platform that supports the entire developer journey, from learners taking their first steps in QEC to practitioners preparing advanced experiments on current and future hardware.
“Riverlane creates quantum error correction technology that helps our customers achieve the scale and reliability needed to unlock revolutionary new applications on their quantum computers,” said Brierley. “But technology alone isn’t enough. We also need more people with the technical expertise to develop and implement quantum error correction technology in the current and future generations of quantum computers. Right now, there’s a massive shortage of both skills and software tools. Deltakit closes that gap.”
What’s inside Deltakit?
Deltakit is an open-source platform that combines two core components:
- Deltakit Textbook – A hands-on introduction to practical QEC concepts written by Riverlane researchers and contributors. The textbook uses examples, walkthroughs, and code exercises to explain key QEC concepts and help quantum developers gain a thorough understanding of the implementation details of QEC beyond theoretical understanding.
- Software Development Kit (SDK) – A Python library for developing and running QEC experiments. The SDK allows users to generate QEC circuits, add realistic noise (i.e., error propagation) based on their QPU’s characteristics, simulate QEC execution, decode stabiliser measurement results, and analyse the outcomes. Users can explore different error-correcting codes, circuit depths, and noise models to optimise QEC performance for near-term hardware.
The SDK also connects to Riverlane’s cloud service, which provides access to high-performance proprietary decoders and supports additional error-correcting codes. Together, these components create a path from learning QEC fundamentals to building and testing circuits and ultimately running real-time QEC experiments on quantum hardware using Riverlane’s Deltaflow technology.
“Deltakit is designed to meet quantum developers where they are. Whether you’re a developer learning QEC or an engineer testing new decoders and codes, Deltakit provides a single, integrated platform that makes progress possible. It’s about turning QEC from a theoretical necessity into a practical, accessible discipline,” said Liz Durst, VP of QEC Community at Riverlane.
Utility-scale quantum computing
By integrating QEC learning and experimentation into a single platform, Deltakit supports the development of the expertise, workflows and implementation patterns needed to unlock utility-scale quantum computing and its first practical applications. Deltakit will continue to grow, with future updates including expanded documentation, contributed code examples, and a growing global community of users and collaborators.
Advocates and evangelists in this space widely talk about the evolution of quantum computing not as the next progression for even the largest companies to feature inside their own in-house on-premisis datacentres i.e. most agree that quantum will first emerge as a utility-scale offering not dissimilar from the as-a-Service was we consume cloud computing. When that becomes tangibly more mainstream and ubiquitous is tough to say, so a generalist “next five years or so” may be our best guess answer for now, QEC leanrnig that’s truly accessible could well help accelerate the progression.