QuEra to Unveil World's 1st Commercial Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computer with Logical Qubits

Technology News ,World :- QuEra, a pioneering startup, is set to launch the world's first commercial fault-tolerant quantum computer featuring "logical qubits" by the end of this year, marking a significant milestone in quantum computing advancements. This groundbreaking machine, equipped with 256 physical qubits and 10 logical qubits, is designed to minimize errors through quantum error correction, offering a glimpse into the potential future of quantum computing.

The announcement comes on the heels of a groundbreaking study published in the journal Nature on December 6, 2023, showcasing a functional quantum computer with 48 logical qubits—the highest number achieved to date. Harry Zhou, a physicist at QuEra and Harvard University, emphasized that this new machine is the first to incorporate quantum error correction, paving the way for more robust and reliable quantum computing systems.

While the current quantum computer may not possess enough power to be independently useful, it serves as a crucial platform for software programmers to begin testing code for future quantum computers, according to Zhou.

The need for error correction in quantum computing arises from the inherent susceptibility of qubits to disturbances, making them error-prone compared to classical bits. Quantum computers, which leverage the superposition of qubits, can perform rapid calculations, but their high failure rate—roughly 1 in 1,000 compared to 1 in 1 billion billion for conventional computers—has posed a significant challenge.

QuEra's error-correction system relies on logical qubits, employing data redundancy by storing the same data in multiple locations. This redundancy ensures that calculations can continue even if one or more physical qubits fail, resulting in a remarkable reduction in error rates. The logical qubits are created by applying error-correcting computer code to regular qubits and entangling them through logical gates or circuits.

Comparatively, QuEra's achievement boasts an impressive 0.5% error rate with 48 logical qubits, surpassing previous efforts. The University of Oxford currently holds the world record with error rates of less than 0.01%, albeit limited to two-qubit gates. Google Quantum AI Lab demonstrated a 2.9% error rate using three logical qubits in 2023.

QuEra has ambitious plans for the future, intending to launch several quantum computers in the coming years. The next in line is a 30-logical-qubit machine with 3,000 physical qubits expected in 2025. A groundbreaking machine with over 10,000 physical qubits and 100 logical qubits is on the horizon for 2026, promising correct calculations that surpass the capabilities of today's supercomputers, according to Zhou.