IBM's quantum processor could beat standard silicon 'within two years'
It sets the stage for future 400- and 1,000+ qubit systems
IBM has unveiled its most sophisticated quantum processor to date, featuring more qubits than the company has ever achieved before, as well as other architectural improvements over earlier chips.
The processor - dubbed Eagle - represents a big step in the company's efforts to create large-scale quantum computers, and is IBM's first to contain more than 100 qubits.
IBM executives believe Eagle will enable quantum systems to outdo classic computers at some tasks within the next two years.
"Eagle is a punctuation point of where we are and that everything is on track," said Bob Sutor, vice president of AI, blockchain and quantum solutions at IBM.
Eagle's high qubit count makes it the first processor that can't be completely simulated on a classic supercomputer.
Quantum systems use phenomena from quantum physics to process information. They work in a fundamentally different way than classic computers, and use qubits (quantum bits) as the basic building blocks of computing.
Unlike regular binary digits (bits) that store a 0 or 1 on everyday computing machines, a qubit can be placed into a quantum state in which it can represent both 0 and 1 at the same time.
For a quantum computer to work properly, qubits must remain 'entangled' with each other, meaning that the state of one qubit instantaneously affects the state of another, even when they are physically separated from each other.
Today's quantum computers contain only a few dozens of qubits. Until this point, any attempt to add more has made them prone to environmental noise, eventually disturbing the computing process and resulting in erroneous calculations.
IBM's Eagle processor uses new techniques that puts the control components on multiple physical levels, while keeping the qubits on a single layer. It uses a processor architecture, including 3D packaging techniques, that can handle the company's planned 1,000+ qubit 'Condor' processor.
In terms of packaging, the processor is based upon a heavy-hexagonal qubit layout, where qubits connect with either two or three other units. The layout, which IBM debuted with the Falcon processor, is designed to reduce the possibility of errors between neighbouring qubits.
Another improvement is called readout multiplexing, which enables a reduction in the amount of electronics necessary to read and write data.
IBM claims its new system can be used to solve real-world problems, like making efficient car batteries or sequestering carbon emissions.
IBM followed the Eagle announcement with a preview of the next iteration of its quantum computer design, Quantum System Two. The design is intended to be more modular and should work with processors with 1,000+ qubits. The company plans to deploy the latest quantum computing system at its research facilities starting in 2023.
Big Blue outlined its hardware and software roadmaps for quantum technology last year. The company is set to unveil its 'Osprey' processor, with more than 400 qubits, by the end of the next year and Condor (or another with 1,000+ qubits) by 2023.
IBM is just one of dozens of companies worldwide racing to commercialise quantum technology.
Last month, Chinese researchers claimed they had designed a 66-qubit programmable superconducting quantum computer that is about 10 million times faster than the world's fastest digital supercomputer, and a million times more powerful than Google's 55-qubit Sycamore quantum processor.
In July, a team of researchers at the Harvard-MIT Center for Ultracold Atoms said they had created the largest ever programmable quantum simulator capable of operating with 256 qubits.
The researchers developed the system using rubidium atoms that can be lined up in a two-dimensional (2D) array.