IBM scientists have built a quantum processor that users can access through a quantum computing platform delivered via the IBM Cloud onto any desktop or mobile device. A universal quantum computer does not exist today, but according to IBM medium-sized quantum processors of 50-100 qubits will be possible in the next decade. IBM believes quantum computing is the future of computing, and has the potential to solve certain problems that are impossible to solve on today’s supercomputers, said the company in a statement.
The cloud-enabled quantum computing platform, called IBM Quantum Experience, will allow users to run algorithms and experiments on IBM’s quantum processor, work with the individual quantum bits (qubits), and explore tutorials and simulations around what might be possible with quantum computing.
The quantum processor is composed of five superconducting qubits and is housed at the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center in New York. The five-qubit processor can scale to larger quantum systems.
IBM employs superconducting qubits that are made with superconducting metals on a silicon chip, and can be designed and manufactured using standard silicon fabrication techniques, says the company.
IBM’s quantum computing platform is a core initiative within the newly formed IBM Research Frontiers Institute.
[Image courtesy: IBM]