Quantum Computers Exist Now and Aren't a Figment of Imagination. However, You May Not Have Blocked Them Out Yet
In an uptown Manhattan office, Jerry Chow, the director of IBM Quantum, discussed the future of quantum computing with Gizmodo. Chow, who has been involved with IBM's quantum research for 15 years, shared insights on the potential of quantum computers and IBM's strategy for making them useful for the world.
IBM's approach to quantum computing involves deriving its usefulness and building a community that demands the necessity for advanced computers. The company has made the decision to put its quantum research on the cloud since the mid-2010s, making its quantum systems available in quantum data centers around the world and on client locations.
The next big milestone for quantum computing, according to Chow, will be a series of milestones from the advantage point of view. This includes achieving early demonstrations of quantum advantage, where quantum computers outperform classical ones on specific tasks. Progressing toward fault-tolerant quantum systems is another significant milestone, as is scaling up to hundreds and eventually thousands of logical qubits.
Industry projections target reaching around 250 logical qubits by 2030 and 1,000 logical qubits by 2035. These advancements would enable more practical and impactful quantum computations. Quantum advantage, as defined by Chow, is more of an incremental change rather than a complete overhaul of what can be computed.
IBM is focusing on scaling superconducting qubit processors, improving qubit fidelity and coherence, and developing software advances to optimize quantum algorithms and error correction. These efforts are consistent with broader industry trends, positioning quantum computing to gradually move from highly specialized research devices to impactful computational tools over the next 5 to 15 years.
IBM's quantum network currently includes nearly 300 members. Users can go online and run quantum circuits for free on IBM's machines. The ultimate goal of quantum computing, as Chow believes, is to bring useful quantum computing to the world, offering differentiating computation over what exists today.
There's a huge community base of people to help users get started with quantum computing. Quantum computers, as stated by Chow, are inherently connected to classical computers, with the need for cross-checking quantum computations using classical computers. Researchers leverage this relationship to their benefit in confirming the proper functioning of quantum computers.
IBM is looking forward to introducing a new device called Nighthawk to users by the end of the year. This device is expected to contribute to the advancement of quantum computing technology.
References:
- Quantum Computing Report
- IBM Quantum
- Rigetti Quantum Computing
- RIKEN Institute
- IBM's vision for quantum computing includes making it a practical and impactful tool for a global community, as evidenced by their decision to place their quantum research on the cloud, allowing access in quantum data centers worldwide and at client locations.
- Jerry Chow, the director of IBM Quantum, believes that reaching around 250 logical qubits by 2030 and 1,000 logical qubits by 2035 is the next big milestone for quantum computing, which will enable more practical and impactful quantum computations.
- IBM is focusing on scaling superconducting qubit processors, improving qubit fidelity and coherence, and developing software advances to optimize quantum algorithms and error correction, as part of their strategy to position quantum computing as a computational tool over the next 5 to 15 years.
- IBM is planning to introduce a new device called Nighthawk by the end of the year, expected to contribute significantly to the advancement of quantum computing technology. This device will likely support artificial-intelligence, science, and other fields by providing more efficient and powerful quantum computations through supercomputers and data centers.
