  Quantum error correcting codes enable the information contained in a quantum
state to be protected from decoherence due to external perturbations. Applied
to NMR, quantum coding does not alter normal relaxation, but rather converts
the state of a ``data'' spin into multiple quantum coherences involving
additional ancilla spins. These multiple quantum coherences relax at differing
rates, thus permitting the original state of the data to be approximately
reconstructed by mixing them together in an appropriate fashion. This paper
describes the operation of a simple, three-bit quantum code in the product
operator formalism, and uses geometric algebra methods to obtain the
error-corrected decay curve in the presence of arbitrary correlations in the
external random fields. These predictions are confirmed in both the totally
correlated and uncorrelated cases by liquid-state NMR experiments on
13C-labeled alanine, using gradient-diffusion methods to implement these
idealized decoherence models. Quantum error correction in weakly polarized
systems requires that the ancilla spins be prepared in a pseudo-pure state
relative to the data spin, which entails a loss of signal that exceeds any
potential gain through error correction. Nevertheless, this study shows that
quantum coding can be used to validate theoretical decoherence mechanisms, and
to provide detailed information on correlations in the underlying NMR
relaxation dynamics.
