Few areas in the vast field of technical progress are as fascinating—or as complex—as quantum computing. IBM, the business with the most quantum machines worldwide, is at the front of this transformation.

VP of IBM Quantum and IBM fellow Jay Gambetta is one of the professionals spearheading the bold effort to construct the most advanced quantum computers. For a very long time, we have been working on quantum itself. Actually, according to Gambetta, IBM was involved in the early development of quantum information.

When IBM put a quantum computer on the cloud in 2016 and made it available to academics and enthusiasts worldwide, the trip really got started. Since then, the business has constructed approximately 70 quantum computers, of which around 20 are always accessible via the cloud. According to Gambetta, the impact has been substantial: users have executed almost 3.2 trillion quantum circuits, producing about 3,000 scientific publications.

However, the hardware is not the whole picture. According to Gambetta, the true issue is in making these potent devices accessible and usable. "In reality, how can you make them more user-friendly? How is the program made? How may classical and quantum mechanics be combined?

According to Gambetta, quantum computing will not supplant traditional computing in the future. Rather, he sees an environment in which CPUs, GPUs, and QPUs (quantum processing units) collaborate with "bits, neurons, and qubits" to form an integrated system.

This idea is beginning to take shape. IBM is now developing its second quantum data center in Europe, having completed its first in the US. Additionally, they have built systems in neighborhood data centers in Canada, Spain, Japan, and elsewhere

These aren't your normal PCs. They are superconducting qubit-based devices that function at "a thousand times colder than outer space," according to Gambetta. With about 100 qubits and the ability to execute up to 15,000 gates—quantum operations that modify the qubits—their most recent dependable quantum device is impressive.

Along with the Cleveland Clinic, a non-profit academic medical center in the US, they have also built systems in local data centers in Japan, Canada, Spain, and South Korea. They also have plans to deploy systems in Japan again.
However, there are several obstacles in the way of broad acceptance. According to Gambetta, "it's the first time the actual model of computation has changed." Even fundamental mathematical procedures behave differently in the quantum world as a result of this paradigm change.

"How can a quantum computer be debugged? Since qubits are sensitive and readily jumbled, it is impossible to just halt a quantum computation in the middle, killing all quantum coherences. This makes even answering the issue a very difficult technological problem.

IBM developed Qiskit, an open-source quantum computing framework, to close this gap. The second-largest user base worldwide is now found in India, demonstrating how important it has become for quantum education and development.

As quantum computing gets closer to being used in real-world applications, more experts are needed. Gambetta highlights the value of possessing both coding and mathematics aptitude. As he puts it, "We're actually rewriting how computing is done," highlighting the special chance that this offers prospective quantum engineers.

According to Gambetta, IBM plans to have quantum error-correcting devices by 2029, which would enable quantum calculations utilizing billions of gates and hundreds of qubits. However, Gambetta is quick to note that there is still uncertainty around the industry-wide adoption timescale. "The discovery of the algorithms will determine when this will have a significant impact on the industry," he says.

According to Gambetta, those who find out about the algorithms will eventually start their own businesses. "In the world of classical computing, that's what happened."

IBM's quantum team has been actively involved in the national quantum mission in India by working with government agencies and academic institutions. Gambetta says, "The biggest thing is the ecosystem work we have done," emphasizing how crucial it is to connect government, business, and academia in order to advance quantum technology.

One thing is certain as the field of quantum computing develops further: the rush to fully use this game-changing technology is on. With IBM leading the way, the quantum future—a time when the previously unthinkable becomes commonplace, transforming whole sectors and expanding the frontiers of human knowledge—might be closer than we realize.