IBM Doubles Its Quantum Computing Performance

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The team inches closer to quantum supremacy.

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

This week, IBM announced that it's reached it's highest Quantum Volume ever, hitting a Quantum Volume of 64. That comes after four years and 28 quantum computers.

According to IBM, Quantum Volume is "a single number meant to encapsulate the performance of today’s quantum computers, like a classical computer’s transistor count." IBM has a goal of doubling its devices' Quantum Volume every year. 

After upgrading one of IBM's newer 27-qubit client systems, the team was able to reach a Quantum Volume of 64. Out of the 28 quantum computing systems deployed on IBM's cloud, only eight of them have a Quantum Volume of 32. This new update has doubled the previous milestone, taking the development to a new level.

To achieve the impressive new Quantum Volume level, the team had to develop a series of techniques to optimize how the hardware is used when running the Quantum Volume circuits. This development definitely paid off when comparing the new specs to previous editions.

IBM provides Qiskit, an open-source software development kit (or SDK) for anyone interested in quantum computing development . According to IBM, these new techniques will be made available in the open-source SDK. 

Of course, the end game is the point where a quantum computer can process information more efficiently than a classical computer. IBM calls this quantum advantage. Google calls it quantum supremacy and claimed to achieve it last year, despite IBM's objections. 

"We are always finding new ways to push the limits of our systems so that we can run larger, more complex quantum circuits and more quickly achieve a Quantum Advantage," Jay Gambetta, IBM Fellow and Vice President, IBM Quantum, said in a statement. 

"IBM's full-stack approach gives an innovative avenue to develop hardware-aware applications, algorithms and circuits, all running on the most extensive and powerful quantum hardware fleet in the industry." 

Ash Hill
Ash Hill
Contributing Writer

Ash Hill is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware with a wealth of experience in the hobby electronics, 3D printing and PCs. She manages the Pi projects of the month and much of our daily Raspberry Pi reporting while also finding the best coupons and deals on all tech.

19 Comments Comment from the forums
  • nofanneeded
    Could it happen again ? that we move back to "IBM" ? Personal Quantum computers" ?? and the death of DIY PCs ???

    I hope that I see it happen in my lifetime.
    Reply
  • CerianK
    I hope they create a quantum algorithm to comprehensively statistically test digital pseudo-random number generator ('PRNG') algorithms so the rest of us still using traditional PRNGs (i.e. not quantum true-random number generators, or 'TRNGs') can be assured that our non-quantum-based research models provide meaningful results (i.e. not the status-quo junk science that is non-reproducible).

    Or if I could just upload my conscious into a coherent pocket domain of the global quantum cloud... that would be good too.
    Reply
  • jkflipflop98
    Quantum processing will change our world and humanity itself in big ways. Things that are fiction today such as an end to all diseases, light speed travel, teleportation, and immortality will be within reach with quantum computing.
    Reply
  • nofanneeded
    jkflipflop98 said:
    Quantum processing will change our world and humanity itself in big ways. Things that are fiction today such as an end to all diseases, light speed travel, teleportation, and immortality will be within reach with quantum computing.

    Genetic cure to all diseases is possible , but come on light speed ? teleportation ? immortality? These are barriers or not scientific at all , and not something any computing would solve ...

    first of all , Light speed is not possible at all because there are no containers that can withstand Light speed , and we dont have the energy source enough for it . these two are not compute speed related.

    Teleportation is impossible , it means you can transform Energy to any material this is creation by definition , when you Teleport yourself you change your atoms into Energy and then beam them to another location then transform energy back into atoms in the right order .. if you can do that , you can create anything from energy not only reconstruct your atoms back .. do you know the amount of energy that comes from your Atoms ? Nukes are a joke compared to it , and you would need a way to contain that energy and beam it ..

    Teleportation by moving to another dimension then appear some where else , that is space folding? how is faster computation is going to discover something that we dont have the methods to enter ? and we dont have the physical form to use? that if such parallel spaces exist to begin with.

    as for immortality well I guess this is not allowed by God . we will all die no matter what.
    Reply
  • thx1138v2
    nofanneeded said:
    as for immortality well I guess this is not allowed by God . we will all die no matter what.
    Actually, I saw an article recently saying that the first person to live forever has probably already been born.
    Reply
  • nofanneeded
    thx1138v2 said:
    Actually, I saw an article recently saying that the first person to live forever has probably already been born.

    lol , not fair for you isnt it ? you will be forgotten , lost and your life meaningless compared to him or it lol

    if people stop dying sooner or later there will be no atoms left to make new humans , the cycle will be cut and our atoms will not go back to earth to produce more humans , then the energy will be gone as well to make atoms and we will end up dying eating each others to live :P

    here you go , gone your immortality :P
    Reply
  • jkflipflop98
    A wise man once told me "The more intelligent one becomes, the more it opens your eyes to how much humans don't know". Apparently "nofanneeded" knows everything and doesn't need this advice.
    Reply
  • nofanneeded
    jkflipflop98 said:
    A wise man once told me "The more intelligent one becomes, the more it opens your eyes to how much humans don't know". Apparently "nofanneeded" knows everything and doesn't need this advice.

    Apparently you have nothing to say against the points I stated and your reply turned personal instead of arguing about the points. this is going off topic . so I will stop.
    Reply
  • Endymio
    thx1138v2 said:
    Actually, I saw an article recently saying that the first person to live forever has probably already been born.
    I saw an article once that said Elvis was alive on the dark side of the moon.

    Seriously, you can predict minor engineering advances, but no one can put a timeframe on scientific breakthroughs. And it would take 6 or 7 of them at least to result in immortality.
    Reply
  • Endymio
    nofanneeded said:
    Teleportation is impossible , it means you can transform Energy to any material this is creation by definition , when you Teleport yourself you change your atoms into Energy
    That might be how a Star Trek teleporter works, but its not how quantum teleportation does. It relies on entanglement, not matter-energy conversion.
    Reply