IBM unveils quantum chip built to execute 10,000 operations
What's the story
IBM has unveiled its latest quantum processor, the Nighthawk r3. The new chip is designed to handle larger and more complex computations at high speed without compromising on quality. The tech giant plans to combine two of these processors into a single system in 2027, capable of executing up to 10,000 quantum operations with over 1,000 qubits between them.
Quantum potential
Speed and accuracy are fundamental to useful quantum computing
"Useful quantum computing hinges on whether results can be delivered with accuracy and speed; both are fundamental," said Jay Gambetta, Director of IBM Research.
The r3 chip succeeds the Nighthawk r2 launched in September, which could handle over 7,500 quantum operations on 120 qubits.
Qubits are the basic unit of logical information in a quantum computer and can exist in multiple states simultaneously unlike classical bits.
Tech advancement
r3 chip will build on r2's qubit reset tech
The Nighthawk r2 chip introduced a revolutionary high-speed qubit reset architecture.
It allows developers and researchers to quickly prime qubits after measurements, reducing the wait time from hundreds of milliseconds to around 25 nanoseconds without disturbing neighboring qubits.
This tech will be extended in the r3 chip to support 10,000 operations on 520 programmable qubits and 2,034 physical quantum components.
Tech demonstration
IBM has already demonstrated connecting two Nighthawk processors
IBM has already demonstrated two key technologies needed to connect two r3 chips.
Earlier this year, the company connected two Nighthawk r1 processors using four l-couplers or "long-range" quantum interconnects. These couplers achieved a 99.4% transfer fidelity, nearing the target of 99.9%.
In 2027, IBM plans to use these modularity advances to scale Nighthawk into a larger quantum system by connecting two Nighthawk r3 processors into a single system with over 1,000 qubits between them.
Platform integration
IBM Quantum Platform announced for researchers and developers
IBM has also announced its cloud-based service for researchers and developers, the IBM Quantum Platform.
The platform will integrate high-performance classical and quantum computing into a single managed environment.
Users can now integrate quantum workflows directly with HPC and classical resources on the platform or with classical compute on their laptop or any number of the world's most powerful supercomputers.