IonQ Achieves Milestone One Year Ahead of Schedule

Quantum computing company IonQ reported that it has hit a target milestone of 35 algorithmic qubits a year ahead of schedule. IonQ’s systems are now capable of new tasks in quantum machine learning and quantum chemistry. The milestone was achieved on the trapped ion-based IonQ Forte platform through hardware and software improvements, including increased qubit count, improved optical detection hardware, and an optimized quantum program compiler.

A side view of an IonQ Forte evaporated glass ion trap chip. IonQ recently achieved its 35 algorithmic qubit benchmark a year ahead of schedule, the company said. Courtesy of IonQ.

The single number algorithmic qubit (#AQ) benchmark was derived from algorithmic benchmarking protocols established in an independent study conducted by the Quantum Economic Development Consortium. In this benchmark, the most complex circuits, in terms of the number of qubits and number of gates, determine the resulting #AQ score. At #AQ 35, IonQ Forte can consider more than 34 billion different possibilities simultaneously.

IonQ currently has purchase orders from international organizations, including QuantumBasel, for its #AQ 35 system.