IBM Introduces Advanced Quantum Processor and IBM Quantum System Two, Extending Quantum Utility Roadmap

KEY HIGHLIGHTS
  • IBM Quantum Heron Debut:
    • Released at IBM Quantum Summit 2023, ‘IBM Quantum Heron’ is IBM’s best-performing quantum processor to date, boasting a new architecture with a five-fold error reduction.
  • IBM Quantum System Two:
    • Introduced as IBM’s first modular quantum computer, Quantum System Two is pivotal to IBM’s quantum-centric supercomputing architecture, utilizing scalable cryogenic infrastructure and classical runtime servers.
  • Extended IBM Quantum Development Roadmap:
    • IBM extends its Quantum Development Roadmap to 2033, aiming to advance gate operation quality, enabling larger quantum circuits. The roadmap underscores a commitment to scaling quantum computing technology.
  • Utility-Scale Quantum Computing Demonstrations:
    • IBM Quantum systems, including the new Heron 133-qubit processor, serve as scientific tools for exploring utility-scale problems in chemistry, physics, and materials. Collaborative demonstrations involve leading researchers and organizations worldwide.
  • Qiskit and Quantum Software Development:
    • IBM reveals plans for a new software stack, highlighting Qiskit 1.0 and introducing Qiskit Patterns to simplify quantum code creation. The goal is to democratize quantum computing development, allowing users to build, deploy, and execute workflows integrating classical and quantum computation.
  • Generative AI for Quantum Code Programming:
    • IBM pioneers the use of generative AI for quantum code programming through watsonx, aiming to automate quantum code development for Qiskit. This integration represents a significant step towards broadening access to quantum computing for scientific exploration.
At IBM Quantum Summit 2023, ‘IBM Quantum Heron’ was released as IBM’s best performing quantum processor to date, with newly built architecture offering up to five-fold improvement in error reduction. (Credit: Ryan Lavine for IBM)
At IBM Quantum Summit 2023, ‘IBM Quantum Heron’ was released as IBM’s best performing quantum processor to date, with newly built architecture offering up to five-fold improvement in error reduction. (Credit: Ryan Lavine for IBM)

Impactful Quantum Advancements Unveiled by IBM at Annual Summit

At the annual IBM Quantum Summit held in New York, IBM introduced the IBM Quantum Heron, marking the inception of a revolutionary series of utility-scale quantum processors. Engineered meticulously over the past four years, this new architecture sets a milestone by delivering IBM’s highest performance metrics and the lowest error rates ever recorded for any IBM Quantum processor to date.

Adding to the excitement, IBM also revealed the IBM Quantum System Two, a modular quantum computer that serves as the cornerstone of IBM’s quantum-centric supercomputing architecture. The inaugural IBM Quantum System Two, situated in Yorktown Heights, New York, has commenced operations equipped with three IBM Heron processors and supporting control electronics.

With this foundational achievement and concurrent breakthroughs in quantum hardware, theory, and software, IBM extends its commitment to quantum development by outlining the IBM Quantum Development Roadmap up to the year 2033. The roadmap introduces fresh targets aimed at significantly enhancing the quality of gate operations. This enhancement is anticipated to expand the capacity of quantum circuits, unlocking the full potential of quantum computing on a larger scale.

Dario Gil, Senior Vice President and Director of Research at IBM, emphasized the transformative era of quantum computing, stating, “We are firmly within the era in which quantum computers are being used as a tool to explore new frontiers of science.” He further highlighted the company’s focus on scaling quantum systems and delivering value through modular architectures to empower users and partners in tackling more intricate problems.

Building on a demonstration earlier in the year featuring a 127-qubit ‘IBM Quantum Eagle’ processor, IBM Quantum systems are now positioned as scientific tools capable of exploring utility-scale challenges in chemistry, physics, and materials. This goes beyond the limitations of classical simulation, showcasing the potential of quantum mechanics.

Leading researchers and organizations, including the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory, the University of Tokyo, Harvard University, and others, have expanded the scope of utility-scale quantum computing experiments. These efforts affirm the value of quantum computing in navigating uncharted computational territories.

Notably, IBM is making the new IBM Quantum Heron 133-qubit processor available for users today via the cloud, marking a significant step forward. This processor, part of IBM’s latest class of high-performance processors, boasts notably improved error rates, surpassing previous records set by IBM Eagle with a fivefold improvement.

As the journey into quantum computing progresses, additional IBM Heron processors are slated to join the industry-leading utility-scale fleet of systems over the coming year, further advancing the landscape of quantum computing.

Credit: YouTube/IBM Research

IBM Quantum system two and extended IBM quantum roadmap

The IBM Quantum System Two boasts a revolutionary design, integrating scalable cryogenic infrastructure and classical runtime servers with state-of-the-art modular qubit control electronics. This sophisticated combination positions the system as a crucial building block in advancing the realms of quantum communication and computation.

At the core of this innovative architecture is a strategic fusion of quantum and classical computing resources, facilitated by a middleware layer. This layer plays a pivotal role in seamlessly integrating quantum and classical workflows, ushering in a new era of computing capabilities.

As part of IBM’s extended ten-year Quantum Development Roadmap, the Quantum System Two is poised to become the host for IBM’s future generations of quantum processors. This strategic move aligns with IBM’s commitment to continual improvement, as these upcoming processors are slated to progressively enhance the quality of operations they can execute. The long-term goal is to significantly augment the complexity and scale of workloads that these processors can adeptly handle.

IBM’s forward-looking roadmap is not merely a technological trajectory but a visionary roadmap that charts the course for the future of quantum computing. The Quantum System Two stands as a testament to IBM’s dedication to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the realm of quantum information processing.

At IBM Quantum Summit 2023, the company extended the IBM Quantum Development Roadmap to 2033, and has established an IBM Quantum Innovation Roadmap through 2029. (Credit: IBM)
At IBM Quantum Summit 2023, the company extended the IBM Quantum Development Roadmap to 2033, and has established an IBM Quantum Innovation Roadmap through 2029. (Credit: IBM)

IBM Unveils Qiskit 1.0 and Qiskit Patterns For Quantum Software Development

In a significant move towards advancing quantum software programming, IBM has introduced Qiskit 1.0, a key component of its latest software stack emphasizing stability and speed. This development aligns with IBM’s overarching objective of democratizing quantum computing development, and as part of this initiative, the company is launching Qiskit Patterns.

Qiskit Patterns represents a breakthrough mechanism designed to facilitate quantum developers in the creation of code with greater ease. Grounded in a suite of tools, it simplifies the mapping of classical problems, optimizes them into quantum circuits using Qiskit, executes these circuits through Qiskit Runtime, and subsequently processes the results.

The combination of Qiskit Patterns and Quantum Serverless empowers users to construct, deploy, and execute workflows seamlessly, integrating classical and quantum computation across various environments, including cloud or on-premises scenarios. These tools collectively serve as foundational building blocks, enabling users to effortlessly construct and execute quantum algorithms.

Furthermore, IBM is at the forefront of incorporating generative AI into quantum code programming through watsonx, its enterprise AI platform. The integration of generative AI from watsonx aims to automate the development of quantum code for Qiskit, utilizing the finetuned IBM Granite model series.

Jay Gambetta, Vice President and IBM Fellow at IBM, emphasized the pivotal nature of this collaboration, stating, “Generative AI and quantum computing are both reaching an inflection point, presenting us with the opportunity to use the trusted foundation model framework of watsonx to simplify how quantum algorithms can be built for utility-scale exploration.”

Gambetta believes that this marks a significant step towards expanding access to quantum computing, transforming it into a tool for scientific exploration readily available to a broader user base. With IBM’s global fleet of advanced 100+ qubit systems and the user-friendly software introduced in Qiskit, computational scientists and users alike can now obtain reliable results from quantum systems, even as they tackle increasingly larger and more complex problems mapped onto quantum circuits.

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Source(s): IBM Newsroom

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