US-based Business technology major IBM has built and tested its universal quantum computing processors.
IBM will be offering the first upgraded processor – free of cost — to developers, researchers, and programmers to explore quantum computing using a real quantum processor via IBM Cloud. The second is a new prototype of a commercial processor, which will be the core for the first IBM Q early-access commercial systems.
IBM Q, launched in March 2017, is an initiative to build universal quantum computing systems for business and science applications.
IBM first opened public access to its quantum processors one year ago, to serve as an enablement tool for scientific research. To date users have run more than 300,000 quantum experiments on the IBM Cloud.
IBM-developed processor features
A 16 qubit processor, which will allow for more complex experimentation, is freely accessible for developers, programmers and researchers to run quantum algorithms, works with individual quantum bits, and explore tutorials and simulations.
Beta access is available by request through the IBM Q experience and a new Software Development Kit is available on GitHub https://github.com/IBM/qiskit-sdk-py
IBM’s prototype commercial processor with 17 qubits has been engineered to be at least twice as powerful. It will be the basis for the first IBM Q early-access commercial systems.
“The engineering improvements will allow IBM to scale future processors to include 50 or more qubits, and demonstrate computational capabilities beyond today’s classical computing systems,” said Arvind Krishna, senior vice president and director of IBM Research and Hybrid Cloud.
IBM has adopted a new metric to characterize the computational power of quantum systems: Quantum Volume. Quantum Volume accounts for the number and quality of qubits, circuit connectivity, and error rates of operations.
IBM’s prototype commercial processor offers a significant improvement in the Quantum Volume. IBM plans to continue to push the technology and aims to significantly increase the Quantum Volume of future systems by improving all aspects of the processors, including incorporating 50 or more qubits.
Experts can learn more here: https://ibm.biz/BdiaQe
Image: IBM Research Staff Member Katie Pooley, an Applied Physics PhD from Harvard who joined IBM in 2015, at the Thomas J Watson Research Center, is a process integrator on the IBM Q team. In the photo, Pooley is examining a cryostat with the new prototype of a commercial quantum processor inside.
