IBM (NYSE:IBM) and Qedma Quantum Computing have announced research that they say demonstrates a quantum computing advantage over leading classical simulation methods, including calculations performed using Fugaku, one of the world’s most powerful supercomputers.
The companies said the results represent a significant step forward in applying commercially available quantum hardware and software to solve complex physics problems that are difficult for classical systems to simulate.
Study Demonstrates Larger-Scale Quantum Simulations
The research used IBM quantum computers powered by the IBM Quantum Heron processor together with Qedma’s QESEM error mitigation software to model a two-dimensional Floquet Ising system.
According to the companies, the quantum platform successfully simulated systems containing up to 74 qubits.
Classical simulation techniques, evaluated in collaboration with RIKEN and BlueQubit, were unable to consistently reproduce the results at the larger system sizes reached by the quantum experiments.
The findings have been published as an arXiv pre-print, while the quantum circuits have been made publicly available through the Quantum Advantage Tracker ahead of formal publication.
Independent Validation Supports the Results
Researchers first compared the quantum results with classical simulations where direct verification was possible before extending the work to larger and more computationally demanding systems.
The study was also independently validated using trapped-ion quantum hardware from Quantinuum, with the researchers reporting consistent results across different quantum computing platforms.
“IBM quantum computers have reached a maturity where they can produce solutions that, for the first time, achieve both trust in the solution through extensive testing and outperform the best classical simulation methods,” said Jay Gambetta, Director of IBM Research and IBM Fellow.
“For decades, quantum computing has promised discoveries beyond the reach of classical computers. Today, we’re beginning to see that promise become reality,” said Dr. Asif Sinay, CEO and co-founder of Qedma.
Commercial Quantum Tools Continue to Advance
Qedma’s QESEM error mitigation software is available through the Qiskit Functions Catalog on the IBM Quantum Platform.
The companies said the research represents the first demonstration of quantum advantage for this category of physics problem using commercially available quantum hardware and software.
IBM added that additional quantum advantage achievements from other partners within its quantum ecosystem were announced on the same day.
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