IBM plans to offer access to a dual-processor quantum system in 2027 by linking two 520-qubit chips, the company announced at its Quantum Developer's Conference this week.
The shift represents a change from IBM's previous roadmap, which called for linking nine 120-qubit Nighthawk processors to reach 1,080 qubits. The new plan targets 1,040 qubits using just two chips instead.
IBM's Nighthawk r3 processor, launching in 2027, will retain hardware-based qubit reset technology introduced in the September release of Nighthawk r2. That technology allows qubits to return to ground state faster, delivering up to a 19-fold acceleration of some operations, according to Oliver Dial, VP of Quantum Systems. The r3 will also significantly increase programmable qubit count from the current 120 to 520.
The company is pursuing two parallel development tracks. One focuses on testing error-correction technologies, while the other delivers high-performance processors for users testing algorithms on quantum systems today. IBM aims to offer error-corrected quantum computers before the decade ends.
IBM has demonstrated success connecting chips, achieving state transfer fidelities of up to 99.4 percent when four L-couplers joined two Nighthawk r1 processors, Dial said. Jerry Chow, IBM's CTO of Quantum-Centric Supercomputing, noted that the connection speed is comparable to qubit interconnections on a single chip.