Highlights:
- IBM has published a beta upgrade to Qiskit Runtime that enables users to exchange performance for fewer error counts via a simple option in the API.
- IBM revised the specifications of their new IBM Quantum System Two, a modular and adaptable system that integrates numerous processors into a single system via communication links.
IBM kickstarted the IBM Quantum Summit 2022 with the announcement of new breakthrough developments in quantum hardware and software and defining its innovative vision for quantum-centric supercomputing. The annual IBM Quantum Summit highlights the company’s extensive quantum ecosystem of clients, partners, and developers and its continuous efforts to deliver practical quantum computing to the world.
Dr. Darío Gil, Senior Vice President of IBM and Director of Research, said, “The new 433 qubits’ Osprey’ processor brings us closer to the point where quantum computers will be used to tackle previously unsolvable problems. We are continuously scaling up and advancing our quantum technology across hardware, software, and classical integration to meet the biggest challenges of our time in conjunction with our partners and clients worldwide. This work will prove foundational for the coming era of quantum-centric supercomputing.”
At the summit, the company unveiled the following new developments:
‘IBM Osprey’ – IBM’s latest 433-quantum bit (qubit) processor: IBM Osprey features the largest qubit count of any IBM quantum processor, surpassing the 127 qubits of the IBM Eagle processor, which was introduced in 2021. This processor can run complicated quantum computations well beyond the capabilities of any conventional computer. As a point of comparison, the number of classical bits required to indicate a state on the IBM Osprey processor exceeds the number of known atoms in the universe.
New quantum software addresses error correction and mitigation: Addressing noise in quantum computers remains a crucial aspect of the widespread use of this technology. To simplify this, IBM has published a beta upgrade to Qiskit Runtime that enables users to exchange performance for fewer error counts via a simple option in the API. By abstracting the intricacies of these elements into the software layer, it will be simpler for users to integrate quantum computing into their workflows, and the development of quantum applications will be accelerated.
IBM Quantum System Two update – IBM’s next-generation quantum system: As IBM Quantum systems scale towards its stated target of 4,000 qubits by 2025 and beyond, they will surpass the present capabilities of existing physical electronics. IBM revised the specifications of their new IBM Quantum System Two, a modular and adaptable system that integrates numerous processors into a single system via communication links. This system is expected to be operational by the end of 2023. It will serve as a building block of quantum-centric supercomputing — the next wave in quantum computing. It scales by employing a modular architecture and quantum communication to increase its computational capacity and uses hybrid cloud middleware to integrate quantum and classical workflows seamlessly.
New IBM Quantum Safe technology: As quantum computers become more powerful, technology providers must take precautions to secure their systems and data from a potential future quantum computer capable of decrypting current security standards. IBM provides technology and services with security characteristics, such as the z16 system with quantum-safe technology and algorithms in support of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) 2024 objective for standardization. At the summit, IBM and Vodafone announced cooperation to investigate ways to implement IBM’s quantum-safe cryptography throughout Vodafone’s IT infrastructure.
Client and amp; Ecosystem Expansion: IBM also announced that the German firm Bosch had joined the IBM Quantum Network to explore various quantum applications. Other recent additions to the network include the multinational telecommunications company Vodafone, which is examining quantum computing and quantum-safe cryptography, the French bank Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale, which is investigating use cases in financial services; and the Swiss innovation campus uptownBasel, which is promoting skill development and leading innovation projects in quantum and high-performance computing technology. These businesses join more than 200 organizations and more than 450 thousand individuals with access to the world’s most extensive fleet of more than 20 cloud-based quantum computers.
Experts’ Take
Jay Gambetta, IBM Fellow, and VP of IBM Quantum, said, “The IBM Quantum Summit 2022 marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of the global quantum computing sector as we advance along our quantum roadmap. As we continue to increase the scale of quantum systems and make them simpler to use, we will continue to see the adoption and growth of the quantum industry. Our breakthroughs define the next wave in quantum, which we call quantum-centric supercomputing, where modularity, communication, and middleware will contribute to enhanced scaling computation capacity, and integration of quantum and classical workflows.”