IBM has developed a 127 qubit chip called Eagle which, it claims, can’t be simulated by a traditional supercomputer.
To simulate Eagle you would need more classical bits than there are atoms in every human being on the planet, says IBM.
‘We had to combine and improve upon techniques developed in previous generations of IBM Quantum processors in order to develop a processor architecture including advanced 3D packaging techniques that we’re confident can form the backbone of processors up to and including our planned 1000+ qubit Condor processor,’ says the IBM statement, ‘Eagle is based upon our heavy-hexagonal qubit layout as debuted with our Falcon processor, where qubits connect with either two or three neighbours as if sitting upon the edges and corners of tessellated hexagons.This particular connectivity decreased the potential for errors caused by interactions between neighbouring quits – providing significant boosts in yielding functional processors.’
Eagle’s control components are located on multiple physical levels while the qubits are located on a single layer.
IBM plans to have a 433 qubit chip called Osprey next year to be followed by a 1,121 qubit chip called Condor.
When Condor is built, IBM says it will be close to being able to build a quantum computer which is more powerful than traditional computers – a position described as ‘quantum advantage’.
“We believe that we will be able to reach a demonstration of quantum advantage – something that can have practical value – within the next couple of years,” says IBM svp and head of the research division, Dario Gil, “that is our quest.”
Source: electronicsweekly
