In a major announcement, IBM has revealed plans to achieve quantum advantage by the end of 2026 and fault-tolerant quantum computing by 2029.
International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) further unveiled its high-end quantum processor, Quantum Nighthawk, featuring 120 qubits connected with 218 next-generation tunable couplers, a 20% surge over its predecessor, IBM Quantum Heron.
Nighthawk can efficiently manage 30% more complex circuits, with the company’s broader expansion plan to introduce it to users by year-end.
Alongside hardware updates, IBM announced the latest quantum software that significantly enhances circuit accuracy by 24% while minimising extraction costs by over 100 times.
Other highlights include the IBM Quantum Loon processor, more efficient quantum error correction, and the release of an open community quantum advantage tracker, developed in collaboration with the Flatiron Institute and the Algorithmiq.
To expedite development, IBM further plans to move to a 300mm wafer fabrication facility, enhancing processor complexity tenfold, and increasing the quantum development speed to twice.
Additionally, the IBM Research Director Jay Gambetta highlighted the company’s position to scale quantum software, fabrication, hardware, and more to unlock transformative apps.
These announcements build on IBM’s recent quantum milestones, including development in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative and running critical quantum algorithms on AMD chips.
A few credible analysts have also called IBM as a major stock in the quantum computing area.
With these significant developments, IBM aims to solidify its position in quantum technology and deliver top notch practical applications that may transform computing across industries.
