IBM connects quantum chips with ‘quantum channels’ at 99% accuracy
Network World ·
IBM has reached a critical milestone for scaling quantum computers, the company announced . According to a research paper published last week, superconducting processors have been connected for the first time using multiple quantum channels with an average transfer fidelity of 99%. In addition to trying to get more qubits on a single chip, quantum computers can also be scaled up by linking multiple chips together. In this case, researchers linked two 120-qubit chips with four connectors—that they called l-couplers—each with a superconducting cable 31.5 inches long. These cables stayed operational through three cycles of warming up and cooling down, and were also able to transmit quantum entanglement between the chips. Previous attempts to do this could not support multiple connections between large superconducting qubit processors, the researchers said. The new approach is compatible with IBM’s Quantum Nighthawk and will also be compatible with the fault-tolerant IBM Quantum Starling computer, planned for 2029 . The same day that IBM released the research, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna told investors that three independent demonstrations achieved quantum advantage on IBM hardware this past summer, and that it had signed 16 enterprise engagements so far this year, including with AT&T and General Motors.