IBM Reports Breakthrough In Quantum Computing

IBM has reported breakthrough in quantum computing by stating two critical advances towards the realization of a practical quantum computer.

For the first time, IBM researchers showed the ability to detect and measure both kinds of quantum errors simultaneously, as well as demonstrated a new, square quantum bit circuit design that is the only physical architecture that could successfully scale to larger dimensions.

"We are reporting on a four-qubit system today, and already experimenting with an eight-qubit system," Jerry Chow, manager of experimental quantum computing group at IBM Research Center (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) told EE Times. "But unlike other designs, the series of problems we have just solved can scale to a superconducting quantum computer with any number of qubits."

The current prototype, build by IBM researchers, is supercooled to 15 milliKelvin, using a commercially available super-refrigerator.

"On the march toward quantum computers error correction is the most important problem, because qubits are not as robust as normal computer bits," Chow added. "Qubits are very fragile and can be spoiled by all sorts of noise-in the environment and in the rest of the system."

The IBM breakthroughs were described in the April 29 issue of the journal Nature Communications.