IBM promises a quantum computer with more than 4000 qubits in 2025


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IBM presented its roadmap for reaching new heights in quantum computing. The American giant wants to develop machines with a computing power of between 10,000 and 100,000 qubits after 2026.

© Getty – Misha Friedman

IBM continues its rise in quantum computing. After unveiling in 2021 Eagle, a 127 qubit processor, more than twice as well equipped as those of its competitors, such as Google, the American founder had already taken a big technological step in order to exceed 400 qubits in 2022 and 1000 qubits from 2023. “Beyond 1000 qubits, we will be able to demonstrate the quantum advantage on relevant cases”estimated Béatrice Kosowski, the boss of IBM France.

The Osprey chip, whose power will reach 433 qubits, will thus be unveiled this year. In 2023, the Condor processor should allow IBM to exceed 1100 qubits, a big goal for Big Blue. And in 2024, the Flamingo processor will deliver 1386 qubits. This scale-up is essential for the sector, since quantum systems in the range of 200 to 500 qubits would make them commercially viable.

Three 1386-qubit chips for a total power of 4158 qubits

IBM intends to go even further and has presented a very ambitious roadmap. The group has identified three pillars for “augurating an era of practical quantum computing”to know “robust and scalable hardware, state-of-the-art quantum software to orchestrate and enable accessible and powerful quantum programs, and a vast global ecosystem of quantum-ready organizations and communities”.

These pillars must be at the heart of the three steps implemented by IBM to increase its quantum computing capabilities tenfold. Thus, the challenge will first be to “create capabilities to classically communicate and parallelize operations across multiple processors [avant de] deploy chip-level short-range couplers”. The final step will be “provide quantum communication links between quantum processors”. All this to achieve the goal set for 2025 of a quantum computer with more than 4000 qubits. On this horizon, IBM hopes to unveil its Kookaburra processor which will carry three 1386 qubit chips for a total power of 4158 qubits.

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“With our Qiskit Runtime platform, advances in software, hardware and theoretical goals outlined in our roadmap, we intend to usher in an era of quantum supercomputers that will open up vast and powerful computing spaces for our community of developers, our partners and customers”, said Darío Gil, senior vice president and director of research at IBM. After exceeding 4000 qubits in 2025, the North American giant wants to develop machines offering computing power between 10,000 and 100,000 qubits, but rather towards the end of the decade.

IBM

First commercial uses in three to five years?

According to a study published by the Capgemini Research Center, 23% of companies worldwide are studying or planning to study the exploitation of next-generation quantum technologies. 43% expect new quantum technologies to lead to first commercial uses within three to five years.

The firms most fond of these technologies operate mainly in telecoms (41%), aerospace and automotive (36%), as well as life sciences (30%). In 2021, the quantum ecosystem benefited from $3.2 billion in investments from global private venture capital, including $1 billion in the last quarter alone, according to The Quantum Insider.

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