IBM Corp. is taking to the stage at its inaugural IBM Quantum Developer Conference today to showcase new advances in quantum computing hardware and software.

At the event, it demonstrated how its most advanced IBM Quantum Heron computers can execute complex quantum algorithms with far greater accuracy and speed than before, while paving the way for a new approach to conduct advanced molecular simulations.

The company, widely regarded as one of the leaders in the race to make quantum computing viable, said the improved IBM Heron processors can now accurately run quantum circuits with up to 5,000 two-qubit gate operations. That’s nearly twice the number of gates – the essential logic elements that facilitate the running of quantum algorithms – that were accurately run when IBM first revealed the Heron-based quantum processor one year earlier.

IBM Heron is the company’s most advanced quantum processor, featuring 133 qubits of computing power. It serves as the foundation of IBM’s global quantum computing service, which is accessible via the company’s cloud data centers for scientists and researchers to tackle problems around chemistry, materials research, life sciences, high-energy physics and more.

According to IBM, it didn’t just improve Heron itself, but also the underlying Qiskit software development kit, which is used by developers to translate traditional code into quantum circuits that its quantum computers can understand and process. The improvements enable them to process complex simulations up to 50 times faster than the original Heron quantum processor, reducing the time it takes to execute a 2023 utility experiment from 112 hours to just 2.2 hours, the company said.

IBM Quantum Vice President Jay Gambetta claimed Qiskit is now the world’s most performant quantum software, citing results gathered using the open-source benchmarking tool Benchpress, which show how it left alternative quantum SDKs in the dust across more than 1,000 tests.

“Advances across IBM Quantum hardware and Qiskit are enabling our users to build new algorithms in which advanced quantum and classical supercomputing resources can be knit together to combine their respective strengths,” he said.

A new approach to molecular research

In addition, IBM said it has been working with various scientific research organizations to advance the capabilities of a multipronged approach to computing that leverages both quantum and classical systems.

Organizations such as Japan’s Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, or RIKEN, and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation are using IBM’s improved systems to explore the use of quantum algorithms to tackle electronic structure problems fundamental to chemistry.

According to IBM, they are pioneering a new “quantum-centric supercomputing” approach to model complex chemical and biological processes that weren’t possible before. Previously, it was thought that these kinds of simulations could only be performed using fault-tolerant quantum machines.

But IBM said they have shown how it’s possible to integrate quantum computers with powerful classical systems to execute parallelized workloads, with each architecture solving different parts of the algorithm used in the modeling process. They execute the algorithms separately before knitting the results back together, making it possible to run simulations that neither architecture could handle independently, IBM said.

For instance, RIKEN partnered with IBM’s quantum researchers to perform “sample-based quantum diagonalizations” in quantum-centric supercomputing environments in order to model the electronic structure of iron sulfides. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Clinic used a similar technique to simulate “noncovalent interactions”, or the bonds between molecules that are essential to various biological, chemical and pharmaceutical processes. IBM said this is an important area of research for future pharmaceutical drug discovery.

“Together, we are pushing through traditional scientific boundaries using cutting-edge technology such as Qiskit to advance research and find new treatments for patients around the globe,” said Cleveland Clinic Chief Research Information Officer Lara Jehi.

Expanded capabilities in IBM Qiskit

IBM hasn’t just been focused on performance, but also making efforts to expand the flexibility of its quantum computing services. In addition to the new benchmarks, it announced various new Qiskit services that deliver generative artificial intelligence capabilities, plus new software developed by its partners.

For instance, the new Qiskit Transpiler Service can help developers to better optimize quantum circuits in order to run AI workloads on quantum hardware. Then, they can combine this with the new Qiskit Code Assistant to generate quantum code for IBM’s Granite family of large language models, creating more powerful generative AI applications that leverage its quantum hardware.

Other new services include Qiskit Serverless, which runs quantum-centric supercomputing approaches across both quantum and classical computer systems. Within the IBM Qiskit Functions Catalog, researchers can access additional services from partners such as Algorithmiq Inc. and Q-CTRL Pty. Ltd. in order to simplify quantum noise performance management and abstract away other complexities.

Holger Mueller of Constellation Research Inc. told SiliconANGLE that IBM is already seen as the leader in terms of quantum computing hardware thanks to the Heron platform, and is now looking to achieve the same in quantum software.

“IBM is shifting its focus more heavily onto quantum computing software, which is why it’s hosting its first annual quantum developer conference,” the analyst said. “Qiskit is the star of the show of course, providing a solid framework to create quantum applications and it’s getting even more powerful with the addition of the Functions Catalog, making it easier to build those apps.”

Image: IBM