Robust Encoding of a Qubit in a Molecule

We construct quantum error-correcting codes that embed a finite-dimensional code space in the infinite-dimensional Hilbert space of rotational states of a rigid body. These codes, which protect against both drift in the body’s orientation and small changes in its angular momentum, may be well suited for robust storage and coherent processing of quantum information using rotational states of a polyatomic molecule. Extensions of such codes to rigid bodies with a symmetry axis are compatible with rotational states of diatomic molecules as well as nuclear states of molecules and atoms. We also describe codes associated with general non-Abelian groups and develop orthogonality relations for coset spaces, laying the groundwork for quantum information processing with exotic configuration spaces.