QuEra, a quantum computing initiative founded by researchers from Harvard and MIT, has unveiled an ambitious roadmap aiming to launch a quantum computer with 100 logical qubits and 10,000 physical qubits by 2026. The company claims this system will demonstrate practical quantum advantage, performing useful computations beyond the capabilities of classical binary computers.
The roadmap outlines milestones that could propel QuEra to the forefront of the quantum computing industry. While IBM, the current market leader, plans to launch a similar system in 2027, and Google and Microsoft also have comparable systems, QuEra aims to scale up to 10,000 qubits and beyond with 256 and 3,000 physical qubit systems by 2024 and 2025, respectively.
One of the biggest challenges in scaling quantum computing is error correction. Quantum systems rely on qubits, which are prone to errors due to the nature of quantum physics. These qubits are somewhat analogous to binary bits but are significantly more error-prone.
QuEra’s quantum computing architecture significantly differs from industry counterparts like IBM’s transmon superconducting charge qubits, as it uses atoms as qubits. QuEra’s press release states that quantum computers can maintain the integrity of quantum information longer and perform complex calculations inaccessible to classical computers through error correction protocols.
There is no consensus in the scientific community on when practical quantum advantage will be achieved. Scientists are conducting numerous experiments using quantum computers to solve problems deemed unsolvable by classical computers, but most involve specific algorithms with little to no practical use beyond laboratory tests. However, recent developments, including QuEra’s work, suggest that scaled progress could lead to quantum computing systems capable of surpassing any current or theoretically reasonable binary supercomputer’s capabilities, potentially impacting cryptography, fintech, chemistry, AI, transportation, and numerous other fields.