Quantum moves from promise to practice at IBM Think 2026

Quantum computing is becoming a reality at major companies, from Boeing to Allstate. Quantum -- especially when paired with AI -- promises better business outcomes.

Google hails breakthrough as quantum computer surpasses ability of supercomputers

Algorithm performed task beyond capability of classical computers, although experts say real-world application still years away

Establishing a New Benchmark in Quantum Computational Advantage with 105-qubit Zuchongzhi 3.0 Processor

In the relentless pursuit of quantum computational advantage, we present a significant advancement with the development of Zuchongzhi 3.0. This superconducting quantum computer prototype, comprising 105 qubits, achieves high operational fidelities, with single-qubit gates, two-qubit gates, and readout fidelity at 99.90%, 99.62% and 99.18%, respectively. Our experiments with an 83-qubit, 32-cycle random circuit sampling on Zuchongzhi 3.0 highlight its superior performance, achieving one million samples in just a few hundred seconds. This task is estimated to be infeasible on the most powerful classical supercomputers, Frontier, which would require approximately $6.4\times 10^9$ years to replicate the task. This leap in processing power places the classical simulation cost six orders of magnitude beyond Google's SYC-67 and SYC-70 experiments [Nature 634, 328(2024)], firmly establishing a new benchmark in quantum computational advantage. Our work not only advances the frontiers of quantum computing but also lays the groundwork for a new era where quantum processors play an essential role in tackling sophisticated real-world challenges.

Classical verification of a quantum simulator: local relaxation of a 1D Bose gas

In [Nat. Phys. 8, 325-330 (2012)], Trotzky et al. utilize ultracold atoms in an optical lattice to simulate the local relaxation dynamics of a strongly interacting Bose gas "for longer times than present classical algorithms can keep track of". Here, I classically verify the results of this analog quantum simulator by calculating the evolution of the same quasi-local observables up to the time at which they appear "fully relaxed". Using a parallel implementation of the time-evolving block decimation (TEBD) algorithm to simulate the system on a supercomputer, I show that local densities and currents can be calculated in a matter of days rather than weeks. The precision of these numerics allows me to observe deviations from the conjectured power-law decay and to determine the effects of the harmonic trapping potential. As well as providing a robust benchmark for future experimental, theoretical, and numerical methods, this work serves as an example of the independent verification process.

EU launches new pact on quantum technologies

What is quantum utility? | IBM Research Blog

For the first time in history, quantum computers are demonstrating the ability to solve useful problems at a scale beyond brute force classical simulation.