  The importance of quantum error correction in paving the way to build a
practical quantum computer is no longer in doubt. This dissertation makes a
threefold contribution to the mathematical theory of quantum error-correcting
codes. Firstly, it extends the framework of an important class of quantum codes
-- nonbinary stabilizer codes. It clarifies the connections of stabilizer codes
to classical codes over quadratic extension fields, provides many new
constructions of quantum codes, and develops further the theory of optimal
quantum codes and punctured quantum codes. Secondly, it contributes to the
theory of operator quantum error correcting codes also called as subsystem
codes. These codes are expected to have efficient error recovery schemes than
stabilizer codes. This dissertation develops a framework for study and analysis
of subsystem codes using character theoretic methods. In particular, this work
establishes a close link between subsystem codes and classical codes showing
that the subsystem codes can be constructed from arbitrary classical codes.
Thirdly, it seeks to exploit the knowledge of noise to design efficient quantum
codes and considers more realistic channels than the commonly studied
depolarizing channel. It gives systematic constructions of asymmetric quantum
stabilizer codes that exploit the asymmetry of errors in certain quantum
channels.
