Quantum computers have immersive workloads IBM has announced yet another quantum computing architecture—a revolutionary step toward quantum supremacy and the future of quantum technology. The declaration came from IBM Fellow Matthias Steffen, director of the quantum processor technology group. This ground-breaking architecture is poised to enable more effective use of quantum computing, revolutionizing how customers use quantum circuits.
The new architecture is headlined by a powerful 120-qubit processor named Nighthawk. It features much-improved connectivity over IBM’s last Heron processor. This feature gives customers the ability to execute quantum circuits. Compared to working with Heron, they can now use up to 15 times more logical gates. Nighthawk represents a new and important chapter in the advancement of IBM’s endeavor. The company, based in Southern California, is focused on building bigger and more powerful quantum systems.
IBM’s new approach is projected to need a few hundred physical qubits to produce only 10 logical qubits. For example, the number of physical qubits required is not yet set in stone. Steffen emphasized the importance of improving the coherence times of the underlying qubits as one of the main paths forward for IBM.
“We’ve cracked the code to quantum error correction and it’s our plan to build the first large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer,” said Jay Gambetta, a key figure at IBM. IBM has verbalized an ambitious goal — creating a large scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer called Starling. They expect that they’ll be able to provide it to their customers by 2029.
As such, IBM should be applauded for its advances with Heron chips. With their second pilot, they more than doubled error handling from approximately 150 to 250 microseconds. These advancements in error correction are promising steps toward the stability and reliability of quantum computations, which is of utmost importance. IBM researchers have recently demonstrated a new error-correction scheme that’s known as quantum low-density parity check (qLDPC) codes. This new research will provide a dramatic boost to progress in the field. For quantum computing, these codes have the potential to require about one-tenth the qubit count of classical surface codes.
“This is one of the reasons why we’re so excited about these qLDPC codes, because it reduces all of the non-quantum processor overhead,” Steffen remarked. The new hardware includes longer-range couplers. These couplers can connect qubits that are more distant to each other on the same chip, a feature needed for implementing sophisticated error-correction methods.
Looking ahead, IBM has lofty aims for its quantum technology. The firm plans to connect three Nighthawk modules in concert next year in a configuration it calls Kookaburra. All they want is to prove they can connect three Nighthawk modules together. By 2027, this will have evolved into a large, multi-handed, multi-sensory device called Cockatoo. Our long-term objective is a 2000 logical qubit machine, codenamed Blue Jay.
IBM’s dedication to leading the world in quantum computing technology is as strong as ever. As they continue their research and development, experts like Mark Horvath acknowledge the challenges ahead: “I think it will eventually work. It’s just, it’s a lot further off than people think it is.” This view reveals the deep fortitude of complications still at work in turning extensive-scale quantum techniques into a reality.
