IonQ has achieved a significant breakthrough by surpassing 99.9% (three 9’s) two-qubit gate fidelity on its next-generation barium development platform. This represents a a 4X improvement over IonQ’s current commercially available systems. This milestone is a critical step toward the company’s technical roadmap of creating high-performance, enterprise-grade quantum systems, advancing the field of quantum computing. The fidelity was demonstrated using the same mechanisms employed in IonQ’s production quantum computers, helping the company understand and remove error mechanisms in larger systems.

The better the native gate fidelity, the less error correction is needed. High qubit gate fidelity is essential for faster, more accurate quantum applications. Barium qubits offer several advantages over the traditionally used ytterbium ions, including higher fidelity, increased gate speeds, and better overall stability. These properties make barium a key component in IonQ’s quantum systems, pushing the company closer to its next-generation commercial platform, IonQ Tempo.

This achievement solidifies IonQ’s commitment to developing quantum systems with superior accuracy and performance, bringing practical, commercial quantum solutions closer to reality. High fidelity is crucial for reducing error correction requirements, enabling faster and more precise quantum applications.

A news release from IonQ’s this latest technical advancements can be accessed on their website here.

September 12, 2024