- IBM introduced two new quantum chips in the latest step forward
- The Nighthawk chip increases circuit complexity by 30% over its predecessor
- Loon is IBM’s first chip to demonstrate fully fault-tolerant components
IBM has announced two new quantum chips as part of its broader roadmap to achieve both quantum advantages and fault-tolerant computing by the end of the decade.
The company says the new Nighthawk and Loon chips mark a major leap toward making practical quantum computing a reality.
The new hardware, launched alongside advances in manufacturing and software, aims to bridge the gap between experimental prototypes and commercially useful quantum systems.
Building the foundation for quantum advantages
The Nighthawk chip is designed to achieve what IBM calls the “quantum advantage,” the point at which a quantum computer can outperform all classical computing methods.
With 120 qubits and 218 tunable couplers arranged in a square grid, the chip supports circuits with 30% greater complexity than its predecessor, while keeping the error rate low.
IBM expects the processor to initially handle up to 5,000 two-qubit gates, with future iterations scaling to 15,000 by 2028.
This performance could complement advanced mobile workstations used for AI development and scientific modeling.
The Loon chip, meanwhile, takes a more experimental path, demonstrating all the key hardware elements needed for fault-tolerant quantum computing for the first time.
By linking qubits both horizontally and vertically, Loon explores new architectures for more efficient quantum error correction.
IBM claims this is the first demonstration of all critical processor components required for large-scale fault tolerance.
“There are many pillars to bring truly useful quantum computing to the world,” said Jay Gambetta, director of IBM Research and IBM Fellow.
“We believe IBM is the only company positioned to rapidly invent and scale quantum software, hardware, manufacturing and error correction to unlock transformative applications.”
To support these goals, IBM has moved the production of its quantum processors to a 300 mm wafer fabrication facility at the Albany NanoTech Complex in New York.
This change doubles the company’s development speed, allowing multiple chip designs to be tested simultaneously and increasing the physical complexity of quantum chips tenfold.
Such improvements suggest that IBM aims to treat quantum processor production with the same rigor applied to modern mini PCs and enterprise notebook manufacturing.
Using its updated Qiskit tools, IBM improves quantum circuit accuracy by 24% and reduces computational cost more than a hundredfold through HPC-assisted error correction.
IBM is also partnering with firms such as Algorithmiq, BlueQubit and the Flatiron Institute to support community-led efforts that track and verify “quantum benefits.”
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