Alongside the rollable TVs, drones and other new gadgets on display at the CES consumer electronics show this week in Las Vegas, IBM Corp. is demonstrating the latest evolution of its quantum computing hardware.

The company today debuted the Q System One (pictured), a quantum computer that promises to bring the technology one step closer to commercial viability.

The biggest innovation in the machine is its structural design. It’s a cryogenically cooled, nine-foot-tall and nine-foot-wide cube that tackles some of the practical challenges involved in operating a quantum computer.

Quantum computers process data by harnessing phenomena unique to the world of subatomic particles. Whereas the bits found in a traditional computer hold either a 1 or a 0 at any given time, the quantum equivalent — the qubit — can exist in both states at once. Qubits in this configuration interact in counterintuitive ways that theoretically make it possible to process data much faster than traditional computers.

In practice, however, realizing these properties is incredibly difficult even on a small scale. Qubits are highly fragile and must be cooled to ultralow temperatures to avoid data corruption. IBM claims that its new Q System One is resilient enough to run outside the insulated lab environments to which quantum computers have been confined so far.

The system’s 20 qubits are kept inside a cylindrical case attached to the top of its cubical chassis. The chassis, in turn, is shielded by a half-inch-thick layer of hardened glass. The airtight enclosure prevents heat from leaking into the circuitry while blocking magnetic fields and other outside interference.

If one of the machine’s sensitive components encounters an issue, engineers can enter the enclosure through a motor-driven door. IBM said the Q System One makes it possible to reset qubits in a matter of hours, instead of the days or weeks it normally takes. The machine also features custom firmware that enables engineers to perform certain maintenance work and upgrades without taking the whole machine offline.

The Q System One communicates with the outside world through classical computing equipment that runs alongside the qubits. According to IBM, the plan is to make the hardware accessible via the cloud to let partners experiment with quantum algorithms.

The company already lets researchers run code on its earlier-model quantum computers via its Q Experience service. IBM said that users have carried out more than 6.7 million experiments on the hardware to date. The company also offers a commercial version of the service, the Q Network, that counts the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Exxon Mobil Corp. and CERN among its users.

IBM is one of several tech companies working on quantum computers. Microsoft Corp. is developing its own hardware, as is Google LLC, which last year unveiled a homegrown quantum processor with no fewer than 72 qubits.

Photo: IBM