  Protecting quantum information from the detrimental effects of decoherence
and lack of precise quantum control is a central challenge that must be
overcome if a large robust quantum computer is to be constructed. The
traditional approach to achieving this is via active quantum error correction
using fault-tolerant techniques. An alternative to this approach is to engineer
strongly interacting many-body quantum systems that enact the quantum error
correction via the natural dynamics of these systems. Here we present a method
for achieving this based on the concept of concatenated quantum error
correcting codes. We define a class of Hamiltonians whose ground states are
concatenated quantum codes and whose energy landscape naturally causes quantum
error correction. We analyze these Hamiltonians for robustness and suggest
methods for implementing these highly unnatural Hamiltonians.
