Bringing quantum-centric supercomputing to Illinois IBM’s Hanhee Paik developed IBM’s first 16-qubit quantum computer and now leads IBM’s quantum initiatives across greater Chicago. We spoke to her about the new IBM-University of Illinois agreement, the future of computing, and how her career path has mirrored quantum’s remarkable rise. Superconducting qubits take many forms. The one at the heart of IBM quantum processors, the transmon qubit, is there partly because of Hanhee Paik. By figuring out how to improve the transmon qubit’s coherence time, Paik showed the world that a superconducting quantum computer was possible. IBM now operates a fleet of quantum computers worldwide based on her transmon qubit design. Today it’s Paik’s job at IBM to help researchers find innovative ways to use them. She currently oversees several projects in Chicago, including the National Quantum Algorithm Center (NQAC) that IBM recently established with the state of Illinois, and whose members include the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and the University of Chicago. IBM just signed a new agreement with UIUC to expand the Discovery Accelerator Institute, with the goal of advancing quantum-centric computing and developing algorithms that combine the strengths of HPC and quantum computing to achieve transformational results. IBM will give UIUC students and researchers access to IBM Quantum computers alongside UIUC’s National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) Delta and DeltaAI supercomputers. This “quantum-centric” architecture will allow researchers to test new algorithms and explore quantum use cases in the real world. Without algorithms, we can’t really use quantum computing to solve problems and develop the economy. Paik will help drive the agenda, drawing on her deep expertise in quantum systems and her growing knowledge of high-performance computing, picked up on a recent assignment in Japan. We recently caught up with her to talk about IBM’s collaboration with UIUC, and