In a major advance for the quantum computing industry, IBM has announced that it successfully ran a key quantum error-correction algorithm on conventional chips produced by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), news agency Reuters reported.
The breakthrough demonstrates that quantum-supporting algorithms can operate efficiently on widely available, non-specialized hardware, a step that could accelerate the path toward scalable and affordable quantum computing.
IBM is racing to develop quantum computing against Microsoft and Alphabet’s Google, which announced a breakthrough algorithm this week.
Quantum computers use qubits, which differ from classical bits by existing in multiple states simultaneously. This capability allows them to perform calculations that are beyond the reach of traditional systems.
However, qubits are extremely fragile and prone to errors caused by environmental noise, decoherence, and hardware imperfections.
Error correction—detecting and fixing mistakes without destroying quantum information—has long been regarded as the most significant challenge standing between today’s prototype quantum devices and fully fault-tolerant quantum computers.
IBM first revealed earlier this year that it had designed a real-time algorithm capable of correcting quantum errors as they occur.
The company has now confirmed that the same algorithm can run effectively on AMD’s field-programmable gate array (FPGA) chips, which are inexpensive and widely used in classical computing applications.
Running this algorithm on off-the-shelf AMD hardware rather than custom-built quantum control units marks a milestone for the company’s hybrid computing vision.
Jay Gambetta, Director of IBM Research, described the finding as “a big deal,” emphasizing that the team’s implementation performed roughly ten times faster than the minimum speed required for effective real-time correction.
By proving that quantum error correction can be executed on existing AMD hardware, IBM has not only advanced the science of quantum computing but also opened the door to a more accessible and economically viable future for the technology.
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