IBM has announced its latest and most powerful quantum processor. It brings a breakthrough in the field of quantum computing. Named Eagle, the 127-qubit processor becomes the first-of-its-kind to deliver over 100-qubits.
To demonstrate just how powerful quantum computing systems are, their qubits have to be brought down to temperatures as cold as outer space. To demonstrate the power of the latest processor, the company showed how a computer has typically required more bits than atoms found in every human in the world to simulate the processor successfully.
Building on previous generations
Due to the substantial quantity of qubits, Eagle is touted as the first processor ever developed that cannot be simulated on a classic supercomputer. Increasing the amount of qubits in a quantum computer enables highly advanced programs to run on such systems that would otherwise not be capable of running on a standard supercomputer.
“The arrival of the Eagle processor is a major step toward the day when quantum computers can outperform classical computers at meaningful levels,” said Dr. Darío Gil, senior vice president and director of research at IBM. “Quantum computing has the power to transform nearly every sector and help us tackle the biggest problems of our time.”
The processor architecture of Eagle offers new ways that place control components on different physical levels, while qubits have been incorporated into their own level. The company also noted that how combined and improved techniques originated in previous generations of IBM quantum processors so it could develop an architecture that involves 3D packaging techniques.
More supercomputers on the horizon
Besides, China might have also achieved its supercomputing supremacy by building two exascale supercomputers. The two machines were developed at the National Supercomputing Center in Wuxi, China if the reports are to be believed.
The computers are named the Sunway “Oceanlite” system and the Tianhe-3 and hit 1.3 exaflops at their peak. If this is true, it would mark the first time a single supercomputer has hit the exascale threshold. We might see more such supercomputers in the future as they will be required to solve complex problems of the universe.
