International Business Machines (IBM) has announced plans to launch a practical quantum computer by 2029 and has outlined specific steps for the company to achieve this goal.
Quantum computers utilize quantum mechanics to solve problems that traditional computers need thousands or even longer to solve. But existing quantum computers must use a large amount of computing power to fix errors, so their overall speed is not faster than traditional computers.
IBM also stated that its goal is to launch a larger scale system by 2033 and plans to build a Starling quantum computer at a data center under construction in Poughkeepsie, New York, which will have approximately 200 logical qubits. Quantum bits are the fundamental unit of quantum computing, and 200 quantum bits are sufficient to demonstrate advantages over traditional computers.
IBM is pursuing quantum computing alongside other tech giants such as Microsoft, Alphabet's Google and Amazon, as well as a series of startups that have raised billions of dollars in funding.
All these companies are solving the same fundamental problem: quantum bits are fast, but they generate a large number of errors. Scientists can use partial qubits of machines to correct these errors, but they need to retain enough qubits to perform useful work.
IBM changed its approach to solving this problem in 2019 and stated that it believes it has found a new algorithm that can significantly reduce the number of quantum bits required for error correction.
Jay Gambetta, Vice President of IBM's Quantum Program, stated that the company's researchers have adopted a different strategy from the past, where they would first study the scientific theory of error correction methods and then attempt to build chips that match that theory.
On the contrary, the IBM quantum team first studied which chips were feasible and then proposed an error correction method based on these chips. This gives IBM confidence to build a series of systems between 2025 and 2027, ultimately forming a larger scale system.
Jay Gambetta said, "We have already solved the scientific problem. What we are facing now is a major challenge in the field of engineering. This does not require reinventing tools
