Simple Rate-1/3 Convolutional and Tail-Biting Quantum Error-Correcting Codes

Simple rate-1/3 single-error-correcting unrestricted and CSS-type quantum convolutional codes are constructed from classical self-orthogonal $\F_4$-linear and $\F_2$-linear convolutional codes, respectively. These quantum convolutional codes have higher rate than comparable quantum block codes or previous quantum convolutional codes, and are simple to decode. A block single-error-correcting [9, 3, 3] tail-biting code is derived from the unrestricted convolutional code, and similarly a [15, 5, 3] CSS-type block code from the CSS-type convolutional code.