IBM Quantum

We are entering a monumental period in the history of quantum computing—the era of advantage. But we’ve long said that quantum advantage is not just a milestone, but a journey. So what are the true signs of quantum advantage? https://ibm.co/6043BEdEB We’ve already demonstrated quantum utility, where quantum systems compute reliably beyond what brute-force classical methods can handle. Now, we’re seeing new algorithms and techniques like sampling-based quantum diagonalization (SQD) deliver results that rival the best classical capabilities in areas like chemistry and optimization. It’s important to emphasize that quantum advantage won’t arrive as a single “big bang.” It will emerge through hypothesis, experimentation, and validation. Researchers will put forward hypotheses backed by experimental data and the community will respond with benchmarking, counterexamples, or improved simulations. Advantage claims must withstand rigorous, peer-reviewed validation until the results are incontrovertible. We believe the most promising path forward lies in combining quantum with classical compute. By the end of next year, we believe the quantum community will coalesce around the first verified advantages. And as we continue to build better systems and work closely with researchers and partners in our ecosystem, we predict those early seeds will grow into breakthroughs with real-world impact. Learn more on the IBM Quantum blog linked above about our new quantum advantage white paper (https://ibm.co/6044BEdE8), published in collaboration with Pasqal.

Today, the University of Chicago announced a new track for quantum startups, supported by IBM. Select Duality startups will receive funding and access to IBM Quantum hardware to explore quantum software, algorithms, and applications. This builds on our shared goal of growing a strong pipeline of quantum startups, while expanding the Midwest's leadership in quantum innovation. It also sets the stage for what’s next. Illinois will soon be home to the National Quantum Algorithm Center (NQAC) at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park. The goal is simple: bring together leading thinkers to discover new algorithms for quantum-centric supercomputing. Excited to support innovators across Chicago and Illinois as we work together to build the future of quantum computing.

It’s been a busy year at IBM Quantum, so we’re rounding up the latest tools, performance improvements, and updates to help you push your research to the utility scale and beyond. https://lnkd.in/g7sxSKR5 The roundup includes direct links to detailed code examples, documentation, and cutting-edge experiments to get you started exploring the latest quantum capabilities and research. Topics include the new Qiskit Function template for replicating and customizing a state-of-the-art quantum simulation workflow developed by Cleveland Clinic, details on our most recent IBM Quantum Heron chip deployments, a new utility-scale course on quantum diagonalization algorithms—prime candidates for near-term demonstrations of quantum advantage—and much, much more. Click the link above to discover what’s new at IBM Quantum.

We’re looking for students all around the world to host their own events as part of this year’s Qiskit Fall Fest! https://ibm.co/6046BEiqm Qiskit Fall Fest is a collection of quantum computing events, primarily held on university campuses, that invites students, researchers and industry professionals to participate in a wide array of quantum-themed activities. Fall fest events range from quantum challenges, hackathons, and coding competitions to workshops, social events, and more. Last year's Qiskit Fall Fest engaged over 9,000 participants across 100 events worldwide, and we hope this year's activities will do even more to grow the quantum computing community across the globe. Qiskit Fall Fest is primarily a student-led effort, but anyone with a passion for quantum computing is eligible to host a Fall Fest event—as long as you attend one of our upcoming virtual informational sessions. Head to the link above to learn more.

ICYMI: Join us Thursday, July 24 at 2PM ET for an IBM Quantum Industry Webinar: Exploring Quantum Utility for Aerospace. https://ibm.co/6041BEDHR By registering and attending this webinar, you can expect to learn about: • The 4 nearest-term application areas of quantum computing • Example quantum use cases for the aerospace industry • Real results from joint projects with Boeing • Trends in quantum computing hardware • Recommended actions for today We hope to see you there. Register now at the link above!

The 2025 edition of UnitaryHack (Unitary Foundation) has wrapped up! Qiskit was proud to be part of this year’s global open-source quantum hacking event, with contributors tackling bugs, building new features, and improving documentation to make quantum computing more accessible to all. We participated directly with 10 issues across 2 Qiskit projects, offering $1,325 USD in bounties for contributions: • Qiskit (across 3 repos: qiskit, documentation, and qiskit-ibm-transpiler): https://ibm.co/6041BERNZ • Rustworkx: https://ibm.co/6042BERNw We received 17 pull requests from 10 participants—8 of whom were first-time contributors to Qiskit. Of the 7 contributors whose PRs were merged, 5 had their very first code accepted into the Qiskit organization. We’re thrilled to share that 8 issues were successfully closed and $1,100 USD in bounties awarded! Special thanks to the 9 reviewers (8 of them IBMers) who helped make it happen.

Moderna and IBM have teamed up to explore how quantum computing can accelerate success of future mRNA-based medicines. This research taps into quantum’s potential ability to solve complex optimization problems that classical systems might struggle with. https://ibm.co/6047BEMoL Together, we’ve taken a significant step in applying quantum algorithms to one of the most complex challenges in mRNA medicine—predicting a molecule’s secondary structure. These structures influence how stable a treatment is, how efficiently it produces therapeutic proteins, and how it interacts with the body’s cellular machinery. Solving this problem requires navigating an enormous optimization space beyond the reach of classical computing alone. The research teams at IBM and Moderna demonstrated that techniques like variational quantum algorithms, improved with Conditional Value at Risk (CVaR), can already deliver meaningful performance on present-day quantum hardware. Last year, our teams achieved one of the largest mRNA secondary structure simulations ever run on a quantum processor, leveraging up to 80 qubits and 60-nucleotide sequences. Moderna is already integrating quantum into its research today, embracing the hybrid quantum-classical workflows that we believe will ultimately lead to demonstrable advantage, and set the stage for accelerated drug discovery. Head to the case study linked above for more.

University of Southern California researchers demonstrated an exponential quantum speedup for a modified version of Simon’s problem using IBM Quantum Eagle processors. https://ibm.co/6048BEJ6i In a new paper published in Physical Review X, researchers at USC Viterbi School of Engineering, led by Dr. Daniel Lidar, demonstrated an exponential quantum speedup on IBM Quantum hardware. The researchers were able to show a modified version of Simon’s problem can be solved faster on quantum computers versus classical. This is one of the first demonstrations of a speedup on today’s quantum hardware, not dependent on unproven assumptions regarding the limitations of classical methods. The team successfully scaled up to 58 qubits on our 127-qubit Eagle processors using techniques like dynamical decoupling, circuit optimization, and measurement error mitigation. Beyond that 58-qubit point, noise did ultimately allow for classical methods to win. These results highlight the real-world constraints of today’s hardware and underscores the importance of continued algorithm refinement and error mitigation technique improvement before full-fault tolerance. This work is a promising step toward identifying concrete areas where quantum can outperform classical, but it’s also part of the ongoing back-and-forth that will define what quantum advantage truly is. More at the IBM Quantum Blog linked above.

Researchers at Cleveland Clinic recently published a new quantum-classical workflow using a powerful technique known as sample-based quantum diagonalization (SQD) to simulate the behavior of molecular systems in solvents — a major step forward for quantum computational chemistry methods in medical and biochemical applications. Now, you can access this new workflow with Qiskit Function templates so that you can customize and apply that same cutting-edge technique to your own use cases: https://ibm.co/6048BEDHs The SQD IEF-PCM Qiskit Function template, developed in collaboration with IBM Quantum, makes the Cleveland Clinic’s simulation workflow available right out of the box. The function template gives you a realistic code example of the Cleveland Clinic SQD workflow — one that is open source, deployable via Qiskit Serverless, and fully customizable to suit your research needs. Head to the IBM Quantum Blog linked above to learn more, access the collection of templates, and start building with the Qiskit Function templates today.

Join us Thursday, July 24 at 2PM ET for an IBM Quantum Industry Webinar: Exploring Quantum Utility for Aerospace. https://ibm.co/6041BEDHR Charles Chung, IBM Global Lead for Quantum Industry Applications for Aerospace, Engineering, and Manufacturing, will share the current status of quantum computing and its trajectory, as well as anticipated potential applications for the aerospace industry like high-fidelity aircraft simulation, accelerated materials development, and topological optimization for aerospace design. You’ll also hear directly from Boeing how they are using 100+ qubit IBM quantum computers to explore high-impact quantum use cases for their organization. Marna Kagele, Boeing Technical Fellow, will describe aspects of successful applications research projects related to corrosion rates and photo degradation reactions. Whether you’re a business leader with no quantum expertise or a researcher actively involved in the development of quantum computing, you’ll take away key insights on the future of computing for the aerospace industry. You’ll also have the opportunity to get your questions answered about how IBM and its clients and partners are shortening the runway to quantum advantage. Register now at the link above.