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- Delivers 127 qubits on a single IBM quantum processor for the first time with breakthrough packaging technology

- New processor furthers IBM's industry-leading roadmaps for advancing the performance of its quantum systems

- Previews design for IBM Quantum System Two, a next generation quantum system to house future quantum processors

Nov 16, 2021

ARMONK, N.Y., Nov. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced its new 127-quantum bit (qubit) 'Eagle' processor at the IBM Quantum Summit 2021, its annual event to showcase milestones in quantum hardware, software, and the growth of the quantum ecosystem. The 'Eagle' processor is a breakthrough in tapping into the massive computing potential of devices based on quantum physics. It heralds the point in hardware development where quantum circuits cannot be reliably simulated exactly on a classical computer. IBM also previewed plans for IBM Quantum System Two, the next generation of quantum systems.

Quantum computing taps into the fundamental quantum nature of matter at subatomic levels to offer the possibility of vastly increased computing power. The fundamental computational unit of quantum computing is the quantum circuit, an arrangement of qubits into quantum gates and measurements. The more qubits a quantum processor possesses, the more complex and valuable the quantum circuits that it can run.

IBM recently debuted detailed roadmaps for quantum computing, including a path for scaling quantum hardwareto enable complex quantum circuits to reach Quantum Advantage, the point at which quantum systems can meaningfully outperform their classical counterpoints. Eagle is the latest step along this scaling path.

IBM measures progress in quantum computing hardware through three performance attributes: Scale, Quality and Speed. Scale is measured in the number of qubits on a quantum processor and determines how large of a quantum circuit can be run. Quality is measured by Quantum Volume and describes how accurately quantum circuits run on a real quantum device. Speed is measured by CLOPS(Circuit Layer Operations Per Second), a metric IBM introduced in November 2021, and captures the feasibility of running real calculations composed of a large number of quantum circuits.

127-qubit Eagle processor

'Eagle' is IBM's first quantum processor developed and deployed to contain more than 100 operational and connected qubits. It follows IBM's 65-qubit 'Hummingbird' processor unveiled in 2020 and the 27-qubit 'Falcon' processor unveiled in 2019. To achieve this breakthrough, IBM researchers built on innovations pioneered within its existing quantum processors, such as a qubit arrangement design to reduce errors and an architecture to reduce the number of necessary components. The new techniques leveraged within Eagle place control wiring on multiple physical levels within the processor while keeping the qubits on a single layer, which enables a significant increase in qubits.

The increased qubit count will allow users to explore problems at a new level of complexity when undertaking experiments and running applications, such as optimizing machine learning or modeling new molecules and materials for use in areas spanning from the energy industry to the drug discovery process. 'Eagle' is the first IBM quantum processor whose scale makes it impossible for a classical computer to reliably simulate. In fact, the number of classical bits necessary to represent a state on the 127-qubit processor exceeds the total number of atoms in the more than 7.5 billion people alive today.

"The arrival of the 'Eagle' processor is a major step towards the day when quantum computers can outperform classical computers for useful applications," said Dr. Daro Gil, Senior Vice President, IBM and Director of Research. "Quantum computing has the power to transform nearly every sector and help us tackle the biggest problems of our time. This is why IBM continues to rapidly innovate quantum hardware and software design, building ways for quantum and classical workloads to empower each other, and create a global ecosystem that is imperative to the growth of a quantum industry."

The first 'Eagle' processor is available as an exploratory device on the IBM Cloud to select members of the IBM Quantum Network.

For a more technical description of the 'Eagle' processor, read this blog.

IBM Quantum System Two

In 2019, IBM unveiled IBM Quantum System One, the world's first integrated quantum computing system. Since then, IBM has deployed these systems as the foundation of its cloud-based IBM Quantum services in the United States, as well as in Germany for Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Germany's leading scientific research institution, in Japan for the University of Tokyo, and a forthcoming system in the U.S. at Cleveland Clinic. In addition, we announced today a new partnership with Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, to deploy the first IBM quantum system in the country. For more details, click here.

As IBM continues scaling its processors, they are expected to mature beyond the infrastructure of IBM Quantum System One. Therefore, we're excited to unveil a concept for the future of quantum computing systems: IBM Quantum System Two. IBM Quantum System Two is designed to work with IBM's future 433-qubit and 1,121 qubit processors.

"IBM Quantum System Two offers a glimpse into the future quantum computing datacenter, where modularity and flexibility of system infrastructure will be key towards continued scaling," said Dr. Jay Gambetta, IBM Fellow and VP of Quantum Computing. "System Two draws on IBM's long heritage in both quantum and classical computing, bringing in new innovations at every level of the technology stack."

Central to IBM Quantum System Two is the concept of modularity. As IBM progresses along its hardware roadmap and builds processors with larger qubit counts, it is vital that the control hardware has the flexibility and resources necessary to scale. These resources include control electronics, which allow users to manipulate the qubits, and cryogenic cooling, which keeps the qubits at a temperature low enough for their quantum properties to manifest.

IBM Quantum System Two's design will incorporate a new generation of scalable qubit control electronics together with higher-density cryogenic components and cabling. Furthermore, IBM Quantum System Two introduces a new cryogenic platform, designed in conjunction with Bluefors, featuring a novel, innovative structural design to maximize space for the support hardware required by larger processors while ensuring that engineers can easily access and service the hardware.

In addition, the new design brings the possibility to provide a larger shared cryogenic work-space ultimately leading to the potential linking of multiple quantum processors. The prototype IBM Quantum System Two is expected to be up and running in 2023.

Statements regarding IBM's future direction and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice and represent goals and objectives only.

About IBMFor more information, visit: https://research.ibm.com/quantum-computing.

ContactHugh CollinsIBM Research CommunicationsHughdcollins@ibm.com

Kortney EasterlyIBM Research CommunicationsKortney.Easterly@ibm.com

SOURCE IBM

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IBM Unveils Breakthrough 127-Qubit Quantum Processor

The idea of using the laws of quantum mechanics for computation was proposed in 1982 by Richard Feynman. But Deutschwho is at the University of Oxford, UKis often credited with establishing the conceptual foundations of the discipline. Computer bits that obey quantum principles, such as superposition and entanglement, can carry out some calculations much faster and more efficiently than ones that obey classical rules. In 1985 Deutsch postulated that a device made from such quantum bits (qubits) could be made universal, meaning it could simulate any quantum system. Deutsch framed his proposal in the context of the many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics (of which he is an advocate), likening the process of one quantum computation to that of many parallel computations occurring simultaneously in entangled worlds.

To motivate further work in quantum computing, researchers at the time needed problems that a quantum computer could uniquely solve. I remember conversations in the early 1990s in which people would argue about whether quantum computers would ever be able to do anything really useful, says quantum physicist William Wootters of Williams College, Massachusetts, who has worked with Bennett and Brassard on quantum cryptography problems. Then suddenly Peter Shor devised a quantum algorithm that could indeed do something eminently useful.

In 1995 Shor, who is now at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, developed an algorithm that could factorize large integersdecompose them into products of primesmuch more efficiently than any known classical algorithm. In classical computation, the time that it takes to factorize a large number increases exponentially as the number gets larger, which is why factorizing large numbers provides the basis for todays methods for online data encryption. Shors algorithm showed that for a quantum computer, the time needed increases less rapidly, making factorizing large numbers potentially more feasible. This theoretical demonstration immediately injected energy into the field, Wootters says. Shor has also made important contributions to the theory of quantum error correction, which is more challenging in quantum than in classical computation (see Focus: LandmarksCorrecting Quantum Computer Errors).

Without Deutsch and Shor we would not have the field of quantum computation as we know it today, says quantum theorist Artur Ekert of the University of Oxford, who considers Deutsch his mentor. David defined the field, and Peter took it to an entirely different level by discovering the real power of quantum computation and by showing that it actually can be done.

Data encryption is the topic cited for the award of Bennett (IBMs Thomas J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, New York) and Brassard (University of Montreal, Canada). In 1984 the pair described a protocol in which information could be encoded in qubits and sent between two parties in such a way that the information could not be read by an eavesdropper without that intervention being detected. Like quantum computing, this quantum cryptographic scheme relies on entangling qubits, meaning that their properties are interdependent, no matter how far apart they are separated. This BB84 protocol and similar quantum encryption schemes have now been used for secure transmission of data along optical networks and even via satellite over thousands of kilometers (see Focus: Intercontinental, Quantum-Encrypted Messaging and Video).

In 1993 Bennett and Brassard also showed how entanglement may be harnessed for quantum teleportation, whereby the state of one qubit is broadcast to another distant one while the original state is destroyed (see Focus: LandmarksTeleportation is not Science Fiction). This process too has applications in quantum information processing.

I am really gratified by this award because it recognizes the field of quantum information and computation, Shor says. Deutsch echoes the sentiment: Im glad that [quantum information] is now officially regarded as fundamental physics rather than as philosophy, mathematics, computer science, or engineering.

Deutsch, Shor, Bennett, and Brassard deserve recognition for their work, and Im delighted that theyre getting it, Wootters says. He notes that their research not only inspired the development of quantum technologies, but also influenced new research in quantum foundations. Quantum information theory views quantum theory through a novel lens and opens up a new perspective from which to address foundational questions.

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Physics - Breakthrough Prize for the Physics of Quantum Informationand of Cells - Physics

What will be the next big thing in technology? Some futurists have made the case for quantum computing stocks.

Quantum computing aims to reimagine the future of advanced calculations. Historically, computing power has grown at a predictable rate largely constrained by Moores Law. This is the observation that as the number of transistors on a semiconductor chip tends to double every two years, the cost of computing drops by half. This has long governed the pace of innovation in the computing industry.

However, were hitting physical limits to how much smaller chip fabrication technologies can reach. Moores Law cant go on forever. To deliver further exponential gains, a new computing technique will be needed. According to Microsofts (NASDAQ:MSFT) fact sheet, Quantum computers harness the unique behavior of quantum physics such as superposition, entanglement, and quantum interference and apply it to computing.

If successfully applied at a commercial scale, this new technique could offer breakthroughs in fields as diverse as artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, computation chemistry and autonomous driving. Here are seven quantum computing stocks that could stand to benefit.

Source: IgorGolovniov / Shutterstock.com

Many discussions of quantum computing start withAlphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG, NASDAQ:GOOGL). In 2019, Google announced that it had achieved quantum supremacy, in which its quantum computer Sycamore achieved the rapid calculation of a problem that would take existing supercomputers thousands of years to achieve.

This claim has since come under fire. In 2022, Chinese scientists responded, saying they had built a classical computer that could achieve the calculation in a similar period of time and outperform Sycamore. As happens on the cutting edge of science, a great deal of rivalry and competition remains.

In any case, Googles announcement set off a land rush in the quantum computing space. Google has a unique position in that if its Sycamore project has increasing success, it can leverage that across a wide variety of other futuristic Google ventures such as AI, healthcare and autonomous driving. It may take a long time for any quantum computing venture to add much to Googles top line given how massive the core search and advertising business is by comparison. However, this stock is clearly part of the quantum computing conversation.

Source: Shutterstock

Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) has its sights on a number of next-generation technology applications. One of these includes quantum computing. Nvidia appears to be marketing itself as a picks-and-shovels sort of way to get exposure to the industry.

It can do this via creating quantum simulations. Heres the companys explanation: NVIDIA cuQuantum is an SDK of optimized libraries and tools for accelerating quantum computing workflows. With NVIDIA GPU Tensor Core GPUs, developers can use cuQuantum to speed up quantum circuit simulations based on state vector and tensor network methods by orders of magnitude.

Quantum computing is unlikely to be a primary driver of NVDAs stock price in the near future. But it could add another catalyst to the companys growth outlook over time.

Source: shutterstock.com/LCV

IBM (NYSE:IBM) has been working on developing its own quantum computing systems for quite awhile. And its had a significant amount of success to date. Its Hummingbird computing system hit 65 qubits of operating capability in 2020. IBM is aiming to top 1,000 qubits within the next couple of years. The capacity of qubits is a key consideration for when this technology may reach commercial viability.

Investors might be skeptical of IBMs abilities here. After all, the company has long touted Watson, its AI-powered computer system that answers questions posed to it in natural language. Watson has proven adept in winning at games such as chess and Jeopardy but has not achieved the levels of commercial prominence that IBM stock bulls might have previously hoped.

Will IBMs quantum computing venture follow a similar path? Only time will tell. However, IBM retains a highly profitable core business while being one of the most powerful research and development (R&D) teams in the world. Items such as IBMs quantum computing arm serve as upside options that could suddenly cause IBM stock to move to a higher valuation.

Source: NYCStock / Shutterstock.com

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) used to be known for missing several key technological trends, such as smartphones. However, its gotten much better about leading new technological trends. The firms early and powerful move into cloud services, with Azure, has been exceptionally successful. And now, Azure itself is giving Microsoft into a beachhead into quantum computing.

Microsoft is building a quantum ecosystem within Azure. Both through Microsofts own internal products and with its partners, Microsoft offers quantum computing solutions to its customers.

This is easier for customers, since they can get access to quantum computing solutions through their existing cloud offering instead of having to get a physical quantum computer. It also creates immense lock-in for Azure in an increasing competitive cloud computing industry.

Source: Sundry Photography / Shutterstock.com

Another thing we can be sure of is that existing technology leaders wont take innovation lying down. Taiwans government, to that end, announced a $290 million investment plan in 2021 for developing future quantum computing innovations.

If quantum computing really takes off, it would threaten Taiwan Semiconductors (NYSE:TSM) monopolistic position in current semiconductor manufacturing. So, Taiwan as a nation, and TSM in particular, are understandably investing to keep up with potential competition. It remains to be seen exactly what TSMs long-term approach to quantum computing will be. But its a dominant player in computing technology today and is investing in quantum.

Source: Shutterstock

For the final two picks, we have pure-play quantum computing stocks. It should be noted from the top that these two are far riskier than anything else on the list. These companies have failed to generate meaningful revenues or fully proven out their business models as of yet.

Rigetti (NASDAQ:RGTI), in particular, is one of the two primary special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) that went to market recently related to quantum computing. Rigetti claims to have some of the most powerful quantum computing technology out there. And it has impressive research partnerships with organizations such as the U.S. Air Force and the Department of Energy.

Rigetti only generated $8 million in revenues in 2021, and is expected to bring in $13 million this year. The company is still years shy of reaching a tipping point where it generates substantial commercial demand. However, for pure-play quantum computing stocks, Rigetti is one to watch.

Source: Amin Van / Shutterstock.com

This is by far the most controversial pick on this list. IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) claims to have the worlds most powerful quantum computer. Short seller firm Scorpion Capital, however, called the company a brazen scamin an exhaustive 183-page report. For investors that arent quantum physicists, it can be hard to evaluate the merits of the companys technology and the ensuing short seller claims.

What we do know is that IonQ has generated scant revenues so far. Even by its own admission, theres a long path ahead of it before it develops enough qubits to generate substantial commercial demand and finally reach profitability. However, its also been easy for short sellers to go after SPACs with unproven business models. Many of Scorpions points about the companys current financials could be correct without invalidating the companys entire technology.

In any case, IONQ stock remains the single largest holding in the Defiance Quantum ETF (NYSEARCA:QTUM) as of the time of writing, despite the controversy. For investors willing to speculate on a high-risk, high-reward quantum computing stock, IONQ stock is certainly cheaper now than it was a year ago.

On the date of publication, Ian Bezek held a LONG position in IBM stock. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.

Ian Bezek has written more than 1,000 articles for InvestorPlace.com and Seeking Alpha. He also worked as a Junior Analyst for Kerrisdale Capital, a $300 million New York City-based hedge fund. You can reach him on Twitter at @irbezek.

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The Next Big Thing in Tech? 7 Quantum Computing Stocks to Bet On. - InvestorPlace

More than 100leading experts, post-doctoral researchersand students from around the worldrecently descended upon the University of Toronto to share their quantum research.

The ninth biennialCentre for Quantum Information & Quantum Control (CQIQC) conference, a week-long gathering that wrapped up earlier this month, was held at theFields Instituteon theSt. George campus and was organized by the Faculty of Arts & SciencesCQIQC research nexus.

The conference has always been a wonderful opportunity to bring together leaders and young researchers from all sorts of different sub-areas in the field for a week in Toronto, says University ProfessorAephraim Steinberg ofU of Ts department of physicsand lead organizer of the conference.

It's very exciting for us because we get to talk to people in our own specialty or in different specialties. Its a chance to get a broad view of what's exciting and what's going on in the field.

CQIQC pronounced see-quick is the interdisciplinary umbrella organization for quantum research at U of T. It promotes research collaborations in theoretical and experimental activities; educates and trains students; runs a variety of programs such as post-doctoral fellowships, summer internships for undergrads, visiting professorships and awards; and runs a successful seminar series.

More than a hundred leading experts, post-doctoral researchers and students from around the world met at the ninth biennialCentre for Quantum Information & Quantum Control (CQIQC) conference (photo by Diana Tyszko)

Our members are from science and engineering departments and are working on both fundamental and applied aspects of quantum science and technology, saysDvira Segal, the centres interim director and a professor in the department of chemistry.

The centres ambition is to advance quantum research and education in Canada and establish U of T as a world-class research institute in the quantum field. We foster and facilitate interactions and collaborations between various research groups within the university and internationally, as well as promote partnerships with industry.

The interdisciplinary conference featured five days of invited and contributed talks exploring all topics quantum which are available on theconference website.

Experts from Stanford University, MIT, Harvard University, Duke University and other institutions, as well as scientists and entrepreneurs from startup companies,shared advances theyve made in quantum computing and quantum supremacy aterm used to describe when a quantum computer solves a problem that cant be solved by a classical computer in a reasonable amount of time.

Some talked about the ramifications of quantum advances on the cryptography that protects our digital and network transactions. Some discussed the practical challenges in building quantum computers and the quantum algorithms they run. Others explored more fundamental topics in quantum physics, including the nature of quantum phenomena and what makes them quantum.

Alejandro Perdomo-Ortiz, research director, Quantum AI, at Zapata Computing gives a presentation at the conference (photo by Diana Tyszko)

The conference provided students from around the world with an opportunity to share their research with attendees in discussions and poster sessions, and a chance to network with leading researchers in the field.

Daniela Angulo Murcillo,a graduate student in the quantum optics group in U of Ts department of physics, presented a poster, Measuring the Atomic Excitation Time due to Narrowband Resonant Photons that are Transmitted, that described work she and her collaborators are conducting under the supervision of Steinberg.

I truly enjoyed this conference because of the variety of subjects involved from foundational topics like contextuality to technological applications like quantum computing, says Murcillo.

I was inspired to explore new subjects by passionate scientists telling us about their work;reading about boson sampling is my new hobby! I was also able to discuss my work with other students and professors, and their questions tested me to find different strategies to explain my research.

Frank Corapi, a graduate student in the quantum optics group in the department of physics, participated in the conference poster session(photo by Diana Tyszko)

Frank Corapiis another graduate student in the quantum optics group. He presented a poster, Towards Quantum Simulation with p-Wave Interacting Fermions, describing research he and collaborators conducted under the supervision ofJoseph Thywissen, a professor in the department of physics.

I greatly enjoyed my time at the conference, says Corapi. Discussing my research with some of the other attendees provided me with new perspectives on concepts I'd been thinking about for a long time. The various talks and posters were also quite interesting, and the entire experience left me with many ideas to bring back to the lab.

For Steinberg and others at CQIQC, the conference continues to be one of the ways the centre is fulfilling its mission.

CQIQC has been around for more than 20 years, and weve been running this conference for almost the entire time, says Steinberg.

We're undergoing continued growth and are always bringing in more students and faculty who are pushing the boundaries of this area and were proud the conference has become one of the international mainstays of the quantum information meeting circuit.

Anna Dyring, CQIQCs quantum strategic initiative lead and one of the conference organizers, says the interest from students and young people, including undergraduate students, wasstriking,as was the large presence of industry representatives and startups.

These outcomes are hopefully a sign of a growing and maturing field, and feels very encouraging for the future.

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Global experts in quantum technologies, research gather at U of T to discuss 'growing and maturing field' - University of Toronto

Supartha Podder, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Sciences, has received a two-year, $400,000 grant from the Department of Energy to study the power of quantum witnesses.

The grant is part of national $15 million initiative by the DOE to fund basic research to explore potentially high-impact approaches in scientific computing and extreme-scale science.

Podder studies quantum advantages in solving computational tasks; awitness is a piece of data that certifies the answer to a computation. Some problems are easy to verify once a little help regarding the solution is provided, like the sudoku puzzle, and a witness can be thought of as such help.

Quantum computation is a type of computational method that uses quantum bits or q-bits and harnesses the phenomenon of quantum mechanics such as superposition, interference and entanglement to solve problems. Classical computing is the traditional way computer science was developed using binary numbers and is governed by classical Newtonian mechanics.

My work looks to see if quantum computing is better than traditional computing types. We will do this by not only comparing quantum with classical in terms of standard resources such as time and space needed for computation but also in terms of broader and more abstract resources such as computational advice and witness, Podder said. Think of it as solving one piece of the bigger quantum advantage puzzle. The ultimate overall goal is to understand when and why quantum computation outperforms traditional classical computation.

The research will examine quantum witnesses through new perspectives to explore and better understand quantum witnesses. To do this involves designing new quantum algorithms, proving optimality of classical witnesses and investigating many different quantum mechanical properties of quantum witnesses.

Podder hopes that this work will shed light on the mystery of quantum advantage, and which can ultimately lead to having exponential quantum advantage for certain types of practical computational problems. If proven correct, such extreme-scale computing would ultimately save time, energy, and space to solve many of the computational problems worldwide that modern computers have difficulty completing.

Read story "Computer Science Faculty Wins DOE Grant to Study Quantum Computing Advantages" on SBU News

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