Poughkeepsie, New York – IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced a significant milestone in the pursuit of practical quantum computing, revealing its strategic roadmap towards building the world’s first large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer.
The ambitious system, codenamed IBM Quantum Starling, is slated for delivery by 2029. It will be housed within a new IBM Quantum Data Center specifically designed for such advanced machinery, located in Poughkeepsie, New York, a city with deep historical ties to IBM’s manufacturing and research operations.
The Leap to Fault Tolerance
The concept of ‘fault tolerance’ is paramount to unlocking the full potential of quantum computing. Current quantum systems, while powerful for specific tasks, are highly susceptible to errors caused by environmental noise and system imperfections. Building a fault-tolerant quantum computer means engineering the system to detect and correct these errors automatically, a challenge far exceeding simply increasing the number of qubits.
IBM Quantum Starling is projected to represent a monumental leap in capability. According to the company’s projections, it is expected to perform an astonishing 20,000 times more operations than today’s most advanced quantum computers. Furthermore, the computational state representation of the Starling system will demand memory equivalent to over a quindecillion (10^48) of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, underscoring the scale of the computational problem being addressed.
This groundbreaking initiative is underpinned by recent breakthrough research conducted by IBM scientists. This research has successfully defined key elements necessary for constructing an efficient fault-tolerant architecture, charting what the company describes as a viable path towards realizing this complex system.
A Step-by-Step Roadmap
Alongside the Starling announcement, IBM also released a new Quantum Roadmap, providing a detailed timeline and outlining the critical milestones required to achieve a practical, fault-tolerant quantum computer. This roadmap includes several intermediate processors, each designed to test and integrate specific technological advancements crucial for the final Starling system.
Key processors detailed in the roadmap include:
* IBM Quantum Loon: Expected in 2025, this processor is designated for testing critical components of quantum error correction, specifically focusing on qLDPC code components and novel coupling mechanisms referred to as “C-couplers“.
* IBM Quantum Kookaburra: Anticipated for 2026, this marks a significant step as the first modular processor. It is designed to combine quantum memory capabilities with the complex logic operations necessary for fault tolerance.
* IBM Quantum Cockatoo: Planned for 2027, this processor will focus on the challenge of entangling the modular Kookaburra units using advanced interconnect technology known as “L-couplers“.
These planned processors demonstrate a systematic approach, building and validating the necessary technology layer by layer, from individual error-corrected qubits to complex modular architectures.
Strategic Vision and Expertise
Speaking on the significance of this development, Arvind Krishna, Chairman and CEO of IBM, highlighted the multidisciplinary nature of the effort. He stated that the initiative leverages IBM’s extensive expertise across the critical fields of mathematics, physics, and engineering. This integrated approach is seen as essential for tackling the profound scientific and engineering challenges inherent in building fault-tolerant quantum systems.
The development of a large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer is widely considered a necessary precursor to solving some of the world’s most complex computational problems across various industries, including drug discovery, materials science, financial modeling, and artificial intelligence.
Locating the new data center in Poughkeepsie reinforces IBM’s commitment to innovation within the United States and builds upon its legacy in the region. The facility will not only house the advanced Starling system but also serve as a hub for ongoing quantum research and development.
This announcement from IBM sets a clear course towards the next era of quantum computing, outlining a concrete plan and timeline to deliver systems capable of reliable, large-scale quantum computation, moving the technology closer to widespread practical application.
