IBM Has Just Achieved the Most Powerful Quantum Computing System
Today marks an important milestone in the emerging world of quantum computing. IBM has accomplished the historic feat of a Quantum Volume of 64 on a 27-qubit client-deployed system, a first on a universal superconducting quantum computer, making it the most powerful system available to users.
Ultimately, the higher Quantum Volume expands the capacity of a quantum system. With this higher quantum volume, researchers could utilize quantum computing to tackle real-world problems in a diverse range of industries. And this is just the beginning.
Over the years, IBM has taken massive steps in the realms of quantum computing. The company’s eventual aim? They want to create the world’s most advanced quantum systems. Just in the last four years, IBM has made 28 quantum computers with eight of them being created this year alone. Today’s expanded system will be accessible within the IBM Q network in upcoming releases and improvements to the IBM Cloud software services as well as on the cross-platform open-source software development kit Qiskit.
For the uninitiated, the IBM Q Network is a “community of Fortune 500 companies, academic institutions, startups and national research labs working with IBM to advance quantum computing”. The network currently has 115 clients, government groups, startups, general partners, and university members, with over 250,000 registered users of the IBM quantum experience.
Quantum volume is the value used to measure a quantum computer’s potential, capabilities, and error rates. As mentioned already, higher quantum volume helps expand the exploration of real-world solutions in academia and across industries. Quantum computing has exciting potential, but it needs to achieve Quantum Advantage to fully evolve into a more viable tool for research.
This is the point at which information processing tasks can be performed more efficiently or cost-effectively on a quantum computer versus a classical one. Higher Quantum volume brings us one step closer to Quantum Advantage.
