One of the biggest names in quantum computing could have just cracked open the multibillion-dollar market with a new breakthrough – Fortune
Quantinuum, the quantum computing company spun out from Honeywell, said this week that it had made a breakthrough in the technology that should help accelerate commercial adoption of quantum computers.
It has to do with real-time correction of errors.
One of the biggest issues with using quantum computers for any practical purpose is that the circuits in a quantum computer are highly susceptible to all kinds of electromagnetic interference, which causes errors in its calculations. These calculation errors must be corrected, either by using software, often after a calculation has run, or by using other physical parts of the quantum circuitry to check for and correct the errors in real time. So far, while scientists have theorized ways for doing this kind of real-time error correction, few of the methods had been demonstrated in practice on a real quantum computer.
The theoretically game-changing potential of quantum computers stems from their ability to harness the strange properties of quantum mechanics. These machines may also speed up the time it takes to run some calculations that can be done today on supercomputers, but which take hours or days. In order to achieve those results, though, ironing out the calculation errors is of utmost importance. In 2019, Google demonstrated that a quantum computer could perform one esoteric calculation in 200 seconds that it estimated would have taken a traditional supercomputer more than 10,000 years to compute. In the future, scientists think quantum computers will help make the production of fertilizer much more efficient and sustainable as well as create new kinds of space-age materials.
Thats why it could be such a big deal that Quantinuum just said it has demonstrated two methods for doing real-time error correction of the calculations a quantum computer runs.
Tony Uttley, Quantinuums chief operations officer, says the error-correction demonstration is an important proof point that the company is on track to being able to deliver a quantum advantage for some real-world commercial applications in the next 18 to 24 months. That means businesses will able to run some calculationspossibly for financial risk or logistics routingsignificantly faster, and perhaps with better results, by using quantum computers for at least part of the calculation than they could by just using standard computer hardware. This lends tremendous credibility to our road map, Uttley said.
Theres a lot of money in Quantinuums road map. This past February, the firms majority shareholder, Honeywell, foresaw revenue in Quantinuums future of $2 billion by 2026. That future could have just drawn nearer.
Uttley says that today, there is a wide disparity in the amount of money different companies, even direct competitors in the same industry, are investing in quantum computing expertise and pilot projects. The reason, he says, is that there are widely varying beliefs in how soon quantum computers will be able to run key business processes faster or better than existing methods on standard computers. Some people think it will happen in the next two years. Others think these nascent machines will only start to realize their business potential a decade from now. Uttley says he hopes this weeks error-correction breakthrough will help tip more of Quantinuums potential customers into the two-year camp.
A $2 billion market opportunity
Honeywells projection of at least $2 billion in revenue from quantum computing by 2026 was a revisiona year earlier than it had previously forecast. The error-correction breakthrough ought to give Honeywell more confidence in that projection.Quantinuum is one of the most prominent players in the emerging quantum computer industry, with Honeywell having made a bold and so far successful bet on one particular way of creating a quantum computer. That method is based on using powerful electromagnets to trap and manipulate ions. Others, such as IBM , Google, and Rigetti Computing, have created quantum computers using superconducting materials. Microsoft has been trying to create a variation of this superconducting-based quantum computer but using a slightly different technology that would be less prone to errors. Still others are creating quantum computers using lasers and photons. And some companies, such as Intel, have been working on quantum computers where the circuits are built using more conventional semiconductors.
The ability to perform real-time error correction could be a big advantage for Quantinuum and its trapped-ionbased quantum computers as it competes for a commercial edge over competing quantum computer companies. But Uttley points out that besides selling access to its own trapped-ion quantum computers through the cloud, Quantinuum also helps customers run algorithms on IBMs superconducting quantum computers. (IBM is also an investor in Quantinuum.)
Different kinds of algorithms and calculations may be better suited to one kind of quantum computer over another. Trapped ions tend to remain in a quantum state for relatively long periods of timewith the record being an hour. Superconducting circuits, on the other hand, tend to stay in a quantum state for a millisecond or less. But this also means that it takes much longer for a trapped-ion quantum computer to run a calculation than for a superconducting one, Uttley says. He envisions a future of hybrid computing where different parts of an algorithm are run on different machines in the cloudpartially on a traditional computer, partly on a trapped-ion quantum computer, and partly on a superconducting quantum computer.
In a standard computer, information is represented in a binary form, either a 0 or a 1, called a bit. Quantum computers use the principles of quantum mechanics to form their circuits, with each unit of the circuit called a qubit. Qubits can represent both 0 and 1 simultaneously. This means that each additional qubit involved in performing calculations doubles the power of a quantum computer. This doubling of power for every additional qubit is one reason that quantum computers will, in theory, be far more powerful than even todays largest supercomputers. But this is only true if the issue of error-correction can be successfully tackled and if scientists can figure out how to successfully link enough qubits together to exceed the power of existing standard high-performance computing clusters.
Quantinuum demonstrated two different error-correction methodsone called the five-qubit code and the other called the Steane code. Both methods use multiple physical qubits to represent one logical part of the circuit, with some of those qubits actually performing the calculation and the others checking and correcting errors in the calculation. As the name suggests, the five-qubit code uses five qubits, while the Steane code uses seven qubits. Uttley says that Quantinuum discovered that the Steane code worked significantly better than the five-qubit code.
That may mean it will become the dominant form of error correction, at least for trapped-ion quantum computers, going forward.
Sign up for theFortune Features email list so you dont miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations.
Read the original:
One of the biggest names in quantum computing could have just cracked open the multibillion-dollar market with a new breakthrough - Fortune
- Google, Microsoft, and others are racing to crack open quantum computing. Here's how their breakthroughs stack up. - Business Insider - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Could Investing in This Quantum Computing Stock Be Like Buying Nvidia Prior to the Dawn of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Revolution? - Yahoo... - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Inside The Quantum Computing Crash Triggered By Nvidia CEO And What His Upcoming 'Quantum Day' May Bring - Investor's Business Daily - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Rigetti Earnings Reveal the Risks and Rewards of Quantum Computing - Barron's - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- 'Nanodot' control could fine-tune light for sharper displays and quantum computing - Phys.org - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- 3 Quantum Computing Stocks to Buy on the Dip - 24/7 Wall St. - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- How quantum computing is shaping the future of tech - Yahoo Finance - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- AIST Strengthens Quantum Collaboration with ORCA Computing and Universal Quantum - Quantum Computing Report - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Microsofts Quantum Computing Breakthrough, Explained - The Dispatch - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Quantum Computing Startup Says Its Already Making Millions of Light-Powered Chips - Singularity Hub - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Quantum computing is creating the future heres how - USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Why We Dont Have Real Quantum Computing Yet - Forbes - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- QunaSys Joins 19.95M ($20.91M USD) EU Project to Advance Sustainable Battery Innovation with Quantum Computing - Quantum Computing Report - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Alice & Bob to Host Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computing Workshop with CEA - HPCwire - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Rigetti partners with Quanta to boost superconducting quantum computing development - DatacenterDynamics - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Quantum Computing Inc. Class Action Alert: Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP reminds investors that a securities class action lawsuit has... - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Quantum computing startup says its already making millions of light-powered chips - StartupNews.fyi - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- A quantum computing startup says it is already making millions of light-powered chips - Phys.org - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Superconducting Quantum Computing Beyond 100 Qubits - Physics - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- How IBM CEO Arvind Krishna Is Thinking About AI and Quantum Computing - TIME - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Webinar | 27 March 2025 | Quantum computing: The future of finance are you ready for Q-Day? - FinTech Futures - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- 3 Quantum Computing Stocks To Buy As Microsoft Announces Major Breakthrough - Barchart - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- WT 360: Inside the governments quantum computing push - Washington Technology - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- INVESTOR ALERT: Pomerantz Law Firm Announces the Filing of a Class Action Against Quantum Computing Inc. and Certain Officers - QUBT - PR Newswire - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Amazon unveils Ocelot, its first quantum computing chip - The Guardian - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Industry Weighs in on AWS Quantum Computing Chip - IoT World Today - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Startup PsiQuantum says it is making millions of quantum computing chips - Yahoo - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- IonQs Earnings Hit the Stock. Quantum Computing Rivals D-Wave and Rigetti Are Down Too. - Barron's - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Interested in Quantum Computing Investing? Here Are 4 Fantastic Picks to Maximize Your Odds of Picking a Winner - Nasdaq - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Want to Invest in Quantum Computing? 2 Stocks That Are Great Buys Right Now - The Motley Fool - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- 3 Reasons Why Microsoft Is the New King of Quantum Computing With Majorana 1 - The Motley Fool - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- QUBT INVESTOR ALERT: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman LLC Announces that Quantum Computing Inc. Investors with Substantial Losses Have Opportunity to... - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Quantum Computing (NASDAQ:QUBT) Trading 0.4% Higher - Here's What Happened - MarketBeat - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Why Quantum Computing Stock IonQ Dropped Today - The Motley Fool - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Prediction: These 2 Quantum Computing Stocks Will Be the Biggest AI Winners of 2025 - Yahoo Finance - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- 4 AI Stocks to Watch in the Quantum Computing Revolution - The Motley Fool - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Quantum Watch: 3 Quantum Computing Startups Set to Disrupt the Industry - TipRanks - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- D-Wave, IonQ and Quantum Computing Stocks Pop: What's Driving the Momentum? - Benzinga - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Microsoft quantum breakthrough promises to usher in the next era of computing in 'years, not decades' - GeekWire - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Microsoft claims practical quantum computing could be ready in 'years rather than decades' with new computer chip - Fortune - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Microsoft unveils chip it says could bring quantum computing within years - The Guardian - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Microsoft created a new type of matter for its quantum computing chip - Quartz - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Kipu Quantum and IBM Introduce New Optimization Function in Qiskit Functions Catalog - Quantum Computing Report - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Microsoft reveals its first quantum computing chip, the Majorana 1 - MSN - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- How Microsoft is rewriting the rules of reality with quantum computing - Interesting Engineering - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Microsoft Makes Quantum Computing Breakthrough With New Chip - The New Stack - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Should the Government Fund a Manhattan Project for Quantum Computing? - Built In - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- This Quantum Computing Stock Just Announced a Key New Sales Strategy and Its First Customer - Barchart - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- HPE launches slew of Xeon-based Proliant servers which claim to be impervious to quantum computing threats - TechRadar - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Quantum Computing (NASDAQ:QUBT) Trading Down 4% - Here's What Happened - MarketBeat - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- 4 AI Stocks to Watch in the Quantum Computing Revolution - MSN - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- The Next Big Thing in Quantum Computing: 3 Startups to Watch - PUNE.NEWS - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Quantum Computing Is Closer Than Ever. Everybodys Too Busy to Pay Attention. - The Wall Street Journal - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Practical Quantum Computing Five to Ten Years Away: Google CEO - The Quantum Insider - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Oxford scientists say they have achieved teleportation - The Independent - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- D-Wave Quantum Announces Another Sale. Its a Milestone in Quantum Computing. - Barron's - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- This Canadian company is out to stop the biggest quantum computing threat - The Logic - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- QphoX, Rigetti, and Qblox Demonstrate Optical Readout Technique for Superconducting Qubits - Quantum Computing Report - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Quantum computing is already here, experts say - DIGITIMES - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- FS-ISAC Releases Guidance to Help the Payment Card Industry Mitigate Risks of Quantum Computing - The Quantum Insider - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Quantum Corporation: Improved Results, But Still Not A Quantum Computing Play - Sell - Seeking Alpha - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Why AI firms should follow the example of quantum computing research - New Scientist - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Unlocking the Future: IonQ Revolutionizes Quantum Computing at CES 2025! - Jomfruland.net - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Billionaire Bill Gates Thinks Quantum Computing Could Be Ready for Prime Time Within 3 to 5 Years. Could Nvidia Be in Trouble If He's Right? - The... - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Quantum Computing in 2025: Will the Asia Pacific Continue Its Advancement? - Telecom Review Asia - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Is D-Wave the Future of Computing? Discover the Quantum Leap! - Jomfruland.net - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Revolutionizing Computing: The Rise of D-Wave! The Future of Quantum Technology - Jomfruland.net - February 14th, 2025 [February 14th, 2025]
- Quantum computing startup OQT announced on the 13th that it has attracted 3 billion won worth of see.. - - February 12th, 2025 [February 12th, 2025]
- 2 Top Quantum Computing Stocks to Buy in 2025 - The Motley Fool - February 12th, 2025 [February 12th, 2025]
- 3 Top-Rated Quantum Computing Stocks To Buy In February 2025 - Barchart - February 12th, 2025 [February 12th, 2025]
- Quantum Computing Breakthrough Brings Us Closer to Universal Simulation - SciTechDaily - February 12th, 2025 [February 12th, 2025]
- Allston quantum computing firm plans to nearly double workforce - The Boston Globe - February 12th, 2025 [February 12th, 2025]
- Quantum Computing: A Beginners Guide to Understanding the Next Revolution - TipRanks - February 12th, 2025 [February 12th, 2025]
- Want to Invest in Quantum Computing? 1 Stock That Is a Great Buy Right Now. - The Motley Fool - February 12th, 2025 [February 12th, 2025]
- 2 Top Quantum Computing Stocks to Buy in February - The Motley Fool - February 12th, 2025 [February 12th, 2025]
- Oxford quantum teleportation breakthrough brings scalable quantum computing closer to reality - Innovation News Network - February 12th, 2025 [February 12th, 2025]
- Preparing for a Quantum Computing Nightmare on the Stock Exchange: What Is Q-Day? - TipRanks - February 12th, 2025 [February 12th, 2025]
- Are Quantum Computing Stocks Worth The Investment? - Seeking Alpha - February 12th, 2025 [February 12th, 2025]
- 7 Best Quantum Computing Stocks to Buy in 2025 | Investing - U.S News & World Report Money - February 12th, 2025 [February 12th, 2025]
- Quantum computing will bring lost Bitcoin 'back in circulation Tether CEO - Cointelegraph - February 12th, 2025 [February 12th, 2025]