Sponsored Building a practical path to post-quantum cryptography Quantum computing will reshape encryption, but not overnight, and a disciplined, phased approach lets organizations modernize cryptographic foundations without disruption while strengthening security today. Provided byIntel Quantum computing has alternated between breakthrough darling and overhyped promise in technology circles. Its powerful new capabilities come with a threat to break current cryptography, but for business leaders navigating the noise, the signal should be clear: post-quantum cryptography (PQC) is a manageable evolution, not a crisis. The mathematics behind today's encrypted digital transactions may yield to quantum computers one day, but the transition to quantum-resistant algorithms is neither sudden nor insurmountable. For executives concerned about disruption, cost, or complexity, a structured and phased approach exists with trusted technology partners like Intel that are already beginning to deliver the infrastructure to make it possible. A natural evolution, not a cliff edge The "quantum threat" narrative often swings between two extremes: imminent catastrophe or distant irrelevance. The reality occupies a more pragmatic middle ground. Quantum computers are highly specialized accelerators that exploit quantum physics to solve specific hard problems. They have the potential to crack modern encryption, but they will not replace classic servers overnight, nor will they instantly break every encryption protocol on the internet. What they will do is gradually shift the security landscape, much as previous cryptographic transitions have done over the past three decades. In late 2024, the Global Risk Institute, a Toronto-based financial services think tank, surveyed 32 quantum computing experts on when a quantum computer could break a 2048-bit RSA key within 24 hours. An average of optimistic and pessimistic estimates from the experts gave it an even 50-50 probability of reaching this code-breaking milestone by 2040. This timeline, uncertain but measurable, creates space for deliberate planning rather than emergency reaction.
Aug 13, 2026 · via technologyreview.com
Building a practical path to post-quantum cryptography Quantum computing will reshape encryption, but not overnight, and a disciplined, phased approach lets organizations modernize cryptographic foundations without disruption while strengthening security today. Quantum computing has alternated between breakthrough darling and overhyped promise in technology circles. Its powerful new capabilities come with a threat to break current cryptography, but for business leaders navigating the noise, the signal should be clear: post-quantum cryptography (PQC) is a manageable evolution, not a crisis. The mathematics behind today’s encrypted digital transactions may yield to quantum computers one day, but the transition to quantum-resistant algorithms is neither sudden nor insurmountable. For executives concerned about disruption, cost, or complexity, a structured and phased approach exists with trusted technology partners like Intel that are already beginning to deliver the infrastructure to make it possible. Advertisement A natural evolution, not a cliff edge The “quantum threat” narrative often swings between two extremes: imminent catastrophe or distant irrelevance. The reality occupies a more pragmatic middle ground. Quantum computers are highly specialized accelerators that exploit quantum physics to solve specific hard problems. They have the potential to crack modern encryption, but they will not replace classic servers overnight, nor will they instantly break every encryption protocol on the internet. What they will do is gradually shift the security landscape, much as previous cryptographic transitions have done over the past three decades. This story is only available to subscribers. Don’t settle for half the story. Get paywall-free access to technology news for the here and now. In late 2024, the Global Risk Institute, a Toronto-based financial services think tank, surveyed 32 quantum computing experts on when a quantum computer could break a 2048-bit RSA key within 24 hours. An average of optimistic and pessimistic estimates from the experts gave it an even 50-50
Aug 13, 2026 · via technologyreview.com
CFOs with a soft spot for science fiction have traditionally viewed quantum computing as something both intriguing conceptually and consequential enough to monitor. No matter how many Star Trek posters they had hanging on their childhood bedrooms, however, most finance teams have viewed quantum computing as a distant enough capability to leave out of today’s operating plan. New research from IBM published at the end of July is shifting the quantum debate from whether machines can perform technically impressive calculations toward where those calculations might become economically useful. The research, conducted with the University of Chicago and several quantum software firms, demonstrated instances of “quantum advantage,” meaning quantum systems can perform certain computations beyond the practical reach of classical computers while producing results that can still be rigorously validated. The work was published across three research papers using IBM’s Heron processors. The milestone is not that classical computing suddenly became obsolete. It is that financial organizations can increasingly begin asking a different question: not whether quantum computing works, but whether there are individual business problems for which it eventually works better than existing solutions. For chief financial officers, that creates three questions worth understanding now. Read also: Big Tech Races to Quantum Safety as Cyber Threat Clock Ticks Down Quantum Advantage for IBM Does Not Mean Quantum ROI for CFOs The first takeaway of the research is that IBM’s quantum advantage breakthroughs do not mean every mid-market company needs a quantum budget line, asap. The papers have not yet undergone peer review, and outside researchers quoted by IEEE Spectrum dispute whether every experiment supports as strong an advantage claim as IBM suggests. And it bears repeating that technology can achieve computational advantage without achieving commercial advantage. PYMNTS covered on Wednesday (Aug. 12) how that’s the emerging case across financial tokenization,
Aug 13, 2026 · via pymnts.com
Scott Buchholz is the CTO of Deloitte Consulting LLP's Government and Public Services practice. There have been significant research advancements in quantum computing in recent years, and a bridge exists between those developments and how the technology can benefit organizations today. Business leaders need to be aware that the bridge exists to start preparing for the quantum future (whichever form or forms it takes), but should not plan to sprint across that bridge. In a recent report my team and I published, we discussed how leaders can balance quantum computing investment timing to avoid spending too early without ROI or delaying it so long that they fall behind. Leaders should balance business outcomes and accountability with novel intellectual property development in their organizations’ quantum computing journeys. Why Leaders Should Consider Using Quantum-Inspired Techniques I previously wrote about three quantum-inspired techniques that can run on current classical hardware: quantum-inspired feature engineering for machine learning, quantum-inspired simulated annealing and quantum-inspired Monte Carlo alternatives. These quantum-inspired techniques give leaders an opportunity to improve outcomes without the risks of waiting for quantum computing to mature commercially or making investments in technology that may not yield short-term results. For instance, teams can use quantum-inspired feature engineering to improve existing machine learning pipelines for anomaly and fraud detection. They can leverage quantum-inspired simulated annealing to tackle complex optimization problems, such as inventory management and supply chain logistics. As for quantum-inspired Monte Carlo alternatives, leaders can use them to make more accurate valuations and risk assessments, such as derivative pricing and estimates of catastrophic but rare events. Which techniques an organization should explore depends on its industry and the use cases it wants to solve. A bank may benefit from quantum-inspired feature engineering for fraud detection, whereas a manufacturer would see more value in quantum-inspired simulated annealing
Aug 13, 2026 · via forbes.com
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Aug 13, 2026 · via youtube.com
China's Quantum Flywheel Six months of Party mobilization Elias X. Huber, author of the China ∩ Quantum blog, is a researcher at Fraunhofer Singapore and Singapore’s Centre for Quantum Technologies, where he works on security assurance for quantum cryptography. He previously was a Yenching Scholar at Peking University and holds an MSc from ETH Zürich. Today, he presents an incredible deep dive on the state of Chinese quantum, specifically how the Party’s future industry machinery is mobilizing quantum commercialization in the first half of 2026. We hope you enjoy it. The Chinese quantum sector evolved rapidly over the first six months of this year. The many Western think tank reports written on China’s quantum ecosystem in 2025 already feel extremely dated. The structure of Zhongnanhai’s mandates for China’s quantum sector have been clarified by the 15th Five-Year Plan in March 2026 — where quantum technologies are listed first among the future industries — as well as Xi Jinping’s Future Industry speech delivered to the Politburo in a 2026 study session, the associated essay in Qiushi 求是 (the Party’s official theoretical journal, literally, “Seeking Truth”) and countless articles and study sessions in response (such as by MOST and MIIT ministers, local cadres and quantum start-ups). Emerging initiatives are implementing abstract, high-level instructions from the party, translating loaded policy jargon into concrete actions that we’ll analyze today. It truly feels like a new industry is being willed into existence. Like a flywheel slowly picking up speed. Today’s deep dive will catch you up on how much changed in just half a year, covering… - The scale of raw commercial expansion, with skyrocketing investments through over 40 H1 investment rounds analyzed for this article, a (neutral atom) quantum computing boom approaching 30 quantum computing hardware companies, and a multitude of new quantum funds.
Aug 13, 2026 · via chinatalk.media
IBM Just Made A Huge Fusion Energy Breakthrough Thanks To Quantum Computing Quantum computing is kicking the doors open on a fusion energy problem that has long challenged scientists. IBM, in partnership with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Cleveland Clinic, discovered a new way to model how fusion plants could produce and recover tritium. It's a rare fuel found in several common objects that are radioactive. Tritium is created naturally when cosmic rays reach the upper atmosphere, but supplies are limited as its 12-year half-life results in relatively quick decay. The lack of tritium is a roadblock to having fusion as a power source. But this radioactive isotype of hydrogen can be produced by exposing more commonly available lithium to neutrons. Tritium is notoriously hard to capture and reuse, but a molten salt known as FLiBe (fluorine, lithium, and beryllium) can surround the fusion reaction like a blanket, helping with this process. Scientists need to know which recipe for doing so is the most efficient, but calculations on this scale are too challenging for classical computers. The solution is to use classical computers for simpler modeling and let IBM's quantum hardware determine the nine specific molecular configurations of this material. It helped them model how the molten salt behaves with and without tritium. IBM calls it the first-known instance of fusion-material computations on quantum computers. How quantum computing helps solve fusion's biggest problem Nuclear fusion is nuclear fission's friendlier cousin. Instead of splitting atoms, fusion combines them, much like the sun. The process doesn't produce chain reactions, and it creates shorter-lived radioactive waste. Fusion has a lower risk of meltdown and a smaller environmental footprint than fission. Yet the potential is enormous, which is why this quantum computing breakthrough is important. Fusion is incredibly hard to control. The process
Aug 13, 2026 · via bgr.com
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Aug 13, 2026 · via youtube.com
Two UC Riverside computer scientists are joining projects selected for federal funding under the U.S. Department of Energy's Genesis Mission, an initiative that seeks to harness artificial intelligence to accelerate scientific discovery. Associate Professor Daniel Wong will lead a research team seeking to improve the speed and accuracy of quantum computing, while Distinguished Professor Kadangode “K.K.” Ramakrishnan will join a team led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory to improve how scientific data and specialized equipment are shared among laboratories and researchers collaborating across the country. The DOE recently selected 278 Genesis research projects nationwide to share $293 million in funding. Both projects involving UCR faculty and students were selected for Phase I awards, which range from $500,000 to $750,000, according to the DOE. The Genesis Mission brings together artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, and scientists from universities, national laboratories, and industry. The DOE says the initiative aims to double U.S. scientific productivity while tackling challenges in advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, critical materials, nuclear energy, and quantum information science. Making quantum computers more reliable Wong is leading a project that would use AI to overcome one of the biggest obstacles to large-scale quantum computing: correcting errors fast enough to keep calculations on track. Quantum computers are highly susceptible to noise and other disturbances that introduce errors. Correcting them requires conventional computers to continuously interpret measurements from quantum processors and determine what went wrong. In superconducting quantum computers, that decoding may eventually need to occur within about 1 microsecond — one-millionth of a second. Wong's team plans to develop AI-based error decoders that combine realistic models of quantum computer noise with high-fidelity simulations. The resulting data would train powerful AI models to recognize error patterns and predict the corrections needed. "Reliable and fast error correction is one of the key capabilities needed to make
Aug 13, 2026 · via news.ucr.edu
D-Wave Quantum has secured CAD $300,000 in funding from the National Research Council of Canada to refine software for its Advantage2 annealing quantum computers. The investment, awarded through the Applied Quantum Computing Challenge program, will focus on new graph minor-embedding algorithms designed to map complex optimization problems to D-Wave’s Zephyr topology. These algorithms will be integrated into D-Wave’s open-source Ocean software development kit, expanding the scale of computations possible across fields like logistics and machine learning. “Software innovation is essential to expanding the performance and commercial impact of quantum computing,” said Dr. Trevor Lanting, chief development officer at D-Wave. NRC Funding Supports Advantage2 Algorithm Development D-Wave’s team in Burnaby, British Columbia, will focus on developing new graph minor-embedding algorithms tailored for the Zephyr topology of the Advantage2 system. These algorithms are critical for translating real-world optimization problems into a format the quantum computer can process, and improvements are expected to expand the scale of solvable problems. This collaboration between D-Wave and the NRC underscores a commitment to applied quantum computing, bringing together government, industry, and academia to accelerate commercialization. The resulting software is intended to enable customers to tackle optimization problems previously beyond the reach of D-Wave’s Advantage2 systems, strengthening Canada’s position in the rapidly evolving field of quantum technology and expanding the range of potential applications. See today’s quantum computing news on Quantum Zeitgeist for the latest breakthroughs in qubits, hardware, algorithms, and industry deals.
Aug 13, 2026 · via quantumzeitgeist.com
Yonsei University will become the second research institution globally to build a Nighthawk quantum computer this November, following IBM Miami. The new processor is projected to reduce calculation times for complex problems, particularly in drug development and rare-disease research, from 48 years to just days. Jung Jae-ho, director of the Yonsei Quantum Initiative, says the university’s primary focus is maximizing the real-world application of quantum computers, as it simultaneously launches “Q-Bridge” to broaden industry access to the technology. Nighthawk Processor to Boost Yonsei’s Quantum Computation Yonsei University is expanding its quantum computing capabilities with the installation of a Nighthawk processor this November, becoming only the second research institution globally to house such a system after IBM Miami. This addition promises a roughly 40% increase in computational power compared to the university’s existing Eagle processor, a leap enabled by a redesigned qubit connection structure. Unlike conventional computers processing bits sequentially, quantum computers utilize qubits in a superposition state, allowing for parallel computation; however, maintaining qubit stability and minimizing errors during longer calculations remains a key challenge. The Nighthawk processor addresses this challenge through improved qubit interconnectivity, employing a lattice-shaped structure that directly links each qubit to four neighbors, reducing the need for error-prone swap gates and enhancing computational efficiency. Yonsei’s ambitions extend beyond acquiring advanced hardware; the university will simultaneously launch “Q-Bridge,” a platform designed to lower the barrier for industry to utilize quantum computing resources. Jung Jae-ho stressed that the key is to address demand from industrial sites and actively develop algorithms that will advance research, while accumulating use cases. A collaborative research project with the University of Cambridge is also planned, establishing branch offices on each campus to focus on quantum-based drug research and stem cell/AI applications. The initiative aims to create a “Q-Library” of industry-specific algorithms and use
Aug 13, 2026 · via quantumzeitgeist.com
Countries around the world are trying to find their place in a world of new and powerful quantum computing possibilities. China and the U.S. are investing tens of millions of U.S. dollars to build individual quantum computers for their national laboratories as part of a wider investment of tens of billions of dollars over the past decade. Brazil has so far announced approximately R$69 million (about US $14 million) in dedicated public investments in quantum technologies, including R$60 million (US $12 million) for an EMBRAPII Center of Competence in Quantum Technologies and R$9 million (US $1.8 million) for a national quantum communications program. It has announced that it aspires to spend and attract the much larger sum of US $1 billion over the next six years on quantum computing. These initiatives support research and innovation in quantum computing, communications, sensing, and software. How Brazil distributes the next wave of money, however big it ends up being, among its research institutes and companies, and among the many threads of quantum technology, will shape the return on the investment. Americo Cunha, a computational science researcher at Brazil’s National Laboratory for Scientific Computing in Petrópolis, argues that less wealthy countries should concentrate strategic investments on quantum-related services above the hardware layer, while accessing frontier quantum processors through cloud services when needed. Spectrum: How do you think less wealthy countries can make their best investments in quantum technology? Americo Cunha: Nowadays there is a big geopolitical debate about sovereignty. Countries want to preserve critical technological capabilities so they are not entirely dependent on foreign suppliers. But sovereignty does not mean competing at every layer of the technology stack. In quantum computing, only a handful of countries—including the United States and China, together with a few others such as Canada, Germany, France, Japan, and the
Aug 12, 2026 · via spectrum.ieee.org
LCSR Seminar Series | Piccolo.jl: Fine-Tuned Quantum Control, Inspired by Robotics Description Andy Goldschmidt, a quantum scientist at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, will give a talk titled "Piccolo.jl: Fine-Tuned Quantum Control, Inspired by Robotics" for the Laboratory for Computational Sensing + Robotics. Piccolo.jl provides an accessible open-source ecosystem for designing and calibrating high-fidelity controls for quantum computing. Quantum control benefits from algorithms that can systematically manage practical engineering requirements like minimum-time control, leakage suppression, hardware limitations, and noise robustness. The first part of the talk will explain the algorithms and design choices that make Piccolo.jl useful for experimental workflows, from rapid prototyping to closed-loop refinement against device data. The second part will highlight some recent examples of the creative ways to utilize Piccolo.jl for quantum science and engineering, and some lessons from getting control designs to work on real hardware. We will also mention some new developments in the Piccolo.jl ecosystem focused on systematic control at scale. Andy Goldschmidt works on architectures and applications of quantum computers at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab. He was an IC postdoctoral fellow in computer science at the University of Chicago with Fred Chong, where he focused on novel control and readout schemes for gate-based quantum computing. Goldschmidt is co-developer of Piccolo.jl, an open-source ecosystem for quantum control—the output of a collaboration with Zac Manchester's group at Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute. Who can attend? - General public - Faculty - Staff - Students
Aug 12, 2026 · via hub.jhu.edu
Good news for advanced-computer technology investors: Quantum computing stocks are back on the upswing. Industry stocks have returned 45.4% year to date as of Aug. 11, according to the benchmark S&P Kensho Global Quantum Computing Technologies Index. What’s more, the index is up 8.7% in August. That wouldn’t deserve much attention, except for the fact that the index dropped over 20% in the first three weeks of July. At this point, an uptick is more than welcome. So, why the run-up in quantum stocks over the past few weeks? [Sign up for stock news with our Invested newsletter.] First, the August rally means things are getting back to normal after a massive summer sell-off. As recently as July 17, certain quantum computing leaders were roughly 60% to 75% off their 52-week highs, with some of them dropping another 17% to 20% in a single week. Additionally, the federal government’s recent announcement that it’s injecting $2 billion into the U.S. quantum computing market shows Uncle Sam is serious about becoming a quantum champion. The Trump administration’s move to take equity stakes in quantum computing startups in exchange for funding reinforces the notion that the industry is a U.S. technology priority, instead of a lower-caste corner of the tech market that must sustain itself on private capital. “The U.S. Department of Commerce’s recent $2 billion in proposed CHIPS Act incentives for quantum companies deliberately spans multiple approaches, which is itself a signal,” said Christopher Gannatti, global head of research at WisdomTree, in a recent research note. “The government does not know which architecture wins, and neither does the market.” What investors can do now, Gannatti advises, is “start building a framework for monitoring how the thesis evolves.” Additionally, while many companies in the space are still private, there are some compelling opportunities
Aug 12, 2026 · via wtop.com
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Aug 12, 2026 · via fidelity.com
Trending House lawmakers put a spotlight Tuesday on an emerging quantum tech industry seeking state aid. The House Communications and Technology Committee held a hearing in State College on boosting development of quantum and semi-conductor technology. Quantum technology involves building ultra-powerful computers to do complex math problems, create secure communications and undertake precise measuring of things like time and gravity. Quantum technology can bring advantages with economic benefits and better calculations, but there is a massive underside with cybersecurity, said Committee Majority Chair Joseph Ciresi, D-Montgomery. Jen Gilburg, a deputy secretary for the state Department of Community and Economic Development, said research universities in Pennsylvania are collaborating on creating the state-backed Keystone AI and Quantum Factory. This collaboration is a major plus for Pennsylvania with attracting corporate and government research investment, she said. The Quantum Industry Coalition, a Pennsylvania group, is lobbying for a $40 million, two-year state quantum technology initiative to boost the emerging industry. Pennsylvania has the potential to capture significant economic benefits from a growing quantum industry, Paul Stimers, the coalition's executive director, told the committee. Quantum computers can solve problems that other computers cannot, he said. The coalition wants state aid for workforce, development, applied research, infrastructure and help competing for large federal grants in the future. The proposal calls for creating a Pennsylvania Quantum Initiative Advisory Board and a Quantum Ethics and Governance Commission to review ethical, legal and social issues with the new technology. The need exists to train technicians capable of building and operating quantum systems, the coalition said. Quantum programming should be available in tech schools, community colleges and universities. Matt Brandsema, a research professor at Pennsylvania State University, said quantum computers can more precisely measure elements of physics like time, gravity and acceleration. But Brandsema said quantum computers can eventually break
Aug 12, 2026 · via altoonamirror.com
Quantum innovation is nothing new to Mark Saffman — a physics professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who has conducted research on a key technology behind quantum computing for over two decades — but he believes the competition for capital and talent is hotter now than ever before. Since 2018, Saffman has been on the leadership team of Infleqtion, a Colorado-based quantum company that went public in February and has offices in Madison, Chicago and across the globe. The company uses neutral atom technology, Saffman’s specialty, for quantum computing, networking, sensing and security. Neutral atoms function as the building blocks for quantum computing and sensing — much like the foundational “bits” of traditional computers. But quantum computers have the potential to solve problems of exponentially higher complexity than conventional machines. Infleqtion isn’t the only company making cutting-edge advancements on Madison’s burgeoning quantum scene. QoLab, co-founded by another UW-Madison physics professor, is working to increase the superconducting capacity of quantum bits, known as ‘qubits,’ to allow for immense computing power. And Dirac Labs, founded by a UW-Madison graduate student, is developing quantum sensors to support navigation that is independent of satellites. Like a compass, these sensors use Earth’s magnetic field to navigate, but with ultra sensitivity. The heart of the local quantum ecosystem is innovation coming out of UW-Madison, according to Greg Keenan, partner at the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation’s venture fund, WARF Ventures, which has invested in both Infleqtion and QoLab. Keenan said collaboration among local and nationwide partners to drive quantum technologies forward, secure key investments and scale up promising companies will be critical to remaining globally competitive. “We have some of the strongest quantum research on the planet at our university,” Keenan said. “We have organizations like WARF that can further support scale-up and commercialization. We’ve partnered with
Aug 12, 2026 · via ibmadison.com
The Science Newswise — Qubits are the quantum counterpart to the bits used in conventional computers. Bits have a “0” and “1” state that is defined by electric charge. In a type of qubit called a silicon spin qubit, the “0” and “1” states are defined by electron spin. This spin can point either up or down in a magnetic field, analogous to a tiny compass needle. Scientists build silicon spin qubits by trapping a single electron inside a thin layer of silicon. The thin layer of silicon (called a quantum well) is sandwiched between another semiconductor material. In addition to spin, electrons in silicon also have a quantum property called a valley state. The energy difference between these valley states is called valley splitting. Valley splitting competes with the spin states used for computation. If the valley splitting is too small, the electron can leak into unwanted valley states. This leakage causes errors and loss of fidelity. In this study, researchers examined how the quantum well affected valley splitting. The Impact Because silicon spin qubits build on the same technology that underpins today’s semiconductor industry, they are one of the most promising platforms for scalable quantum computing. For years, researchers knew that defects and inconsistencies in the materials used in silicon quantum devices reduce valley splitting and cause failure. This valley splitting has long been known to vary from device to device, but its origin remained unclear. This study revealed that disorder on the atomic scale in the quantum well is the main source of variability of valley splitting. By identifying this root cause, the work turns a long-standing challenge into a tractable materials problem. It gives industry and National Laboratories a clear path towards building more reliable, higher-fidelity silicon qubits. Summary This study was enabled by a unique
Aug 12, 2026 · via newswise.com
IBM and University of Chicago demonstrate verifiable quantum advantage The IBM quantum computer completed the 70-logical-qubit task in approximately 15 minutes, while leading classical simulation methods faced prohibitive runtimes IBM and researchers at the University of Chicago have completed a logical quantum computation that they say exceeded the practical reach of leading classical simulators while providing statistical evidence that the result was accurate. The experiment used 70 logical qubits to execute 2,415 logical two-qubit operations and 468 logical T gates. According to the researchers, the encoded computation achieved effective logical error rates 10 times lower than the system’s physical error rates. Their paper, Sampling hard circuits with verifiably high fidelity, sets out an approach designed to address a persistent problem in demonstrations of quantum advantage: how to verify a result once the computation has become too difficult for a classical computer to reproduce efficiently. Previous experiments have commonly used random circuit sampling, or RCS, which asks a quantum computer to generate complex patterns that classical systems cannot efficiently replicate. As the task becomes harder, however, independently checking the quantum computer’s answer also becomes increasingly difficult. The IBM and University of Chicago team instead developed a structured alternative to RCS. The researchers proved that it retained the same computational hardness criteria while allowing errors to be detected during the computation. “Verification remains one of the biggest challenges in firmly establishing experimental quantum advantage,” says Bill Fefferman, Associate Professor at the University of Chicago and a co-author of the paper. “This experiment develops techniques to better characterize the fidelity of hard quantum states under noise, increasing confidence that the quantum computer is solving a computationally hard problem.” Error correction supports 70 logical qubits Logical qubits encode quantum information in a way intended to shield it from errors affecting the underlying hardware. The
Aug 12, 2026 · via edtechinnovationhub.com
I've been hearing whispers on social media that quantum computing is "the new artificial intelligence," and IonQ (IONQ +2.14%) is one of the names they're considering. Where the stock will be in five years depends less on this summer's rally and more on whether the company can turn today's momentum into a durable, scaled business while the quantum computing hype cycle plays out. IonQ's August numbers are undeniably impressive. For Q2 2026, the company reported record GAAP revenue of $80.1 million, up 287% year over year and roughly 20% above the midpoint of its own guidance. That made it the strongest quarter in IonQ's history and its fifth straight period of record results, driven by global deployments of its Tempo quantum computers, strong cloud utilization, and broader platform usage. Remaining performance obligations jumped to about $485 million, up nearly 300% from a year ago, and management raised full‑year revenue guidance to $280 million to $290 million, with a goal of 100% organic growth in 2026. IonQ is just getting started At the same time, this is still an early‑stage business under the hood. IonQ posted a GAAP net loss of $1.87 billion in Q2, largely due to a non‑cash charge tied to remeasuring earn‑outs and contingent consideration from the SkyWater acquisition. Adjusted EBITDA stood at negative $120 million, even though cash, equivalents, and investments were a hefty $3.0 billion before the deal and roughly $2.0 billion pro forma. That mix -- rapid revenue growth, big backlog, but large losses and heavy investment -- is exactly what you'd expect from a company trying to build a new computing stack, but it also makes the stock inherently volatile. What makes IonQ interesting in the "quantum is the new AI" narrative is how directly it ties the two together. CEO Niccolo de Masi
Aug 11, 2026 · via fool.com