Quantinuum's H1 generation quantum processors set two performance records on the QV benchmark, initially developed by IBM to reflect a quantum computer's general capability.
Quantinuum reported its H1-1 achieved a quantum volume (QV) of 16,384 (214), and then 32,768 (215). The achievements represent a high-water mark for its quantum computing systems.
Paul Smith-Goodson, Analyst, Moor Insights and Strategy, comments: “Quantum volume is crucial to the ongoing development and research necessary to create the bigger and better quantum computers needed to achieve a quantum advantage. Quantinuum has prioritised increasing its quantum volume since the start, which has not only benefitted its current applications but set itself up to be the benchmark in achieving quantum advantage."
This marks the eighth time in less than three years that Quantinuum's H-Series, which is based on quantum charge-coupled device technology, has set an industry benchmark, and fulfils a public commitment made in March 2020 to increase the performance of the H-Series quantum processors, Powered by Honeywell, by an order of magnitude each year for five years.
Marco Pistoia, Distinguished Engineer and Head of Global Technology Applied Research, at JPMorgan Chase, stated: "This is a remarkable milestone for quantum computing and inline with the technology we have seen from Quantinuum. As evidenced in our research, we have produced groundbreaking algorithms on their quantum computers for the past several years, which has allowed us at JPMorgan Chase to be on the leading edge of quantum computing. We look forward to continuing to make more breakthroughs in quantum computing together."
To provide more detail on the underlying technological improvements that led to the new benchmark, Quantinuum revealed details of recent performance enhancements to the H-Series, including reductions in the phase noise of the device's lasers, reducing two-qubit gate error and memory error, and improvements to elements of the calibration process.
Scientists at Quantinuum also shared insights into how the improvements that resulted in the new benchmark reduce the time it takes for algorithms to run, improve the ability to run quantum error correction codes, and lead to better results for the scientists and researchers using the H-Series hardware.
"We are exactly where we expect to be on our roadmap," said Tony Uttley, President and COO of Quantinuum. "Our hardware team continues to deliver technical improvements right across the board, and our approach of continuously upgrading our quantum computers means that these are felt immediately by our customers."
A five-digit QV number is very positive for real-time quantum error correction (QEC) because of the low error rates, number of qubits, and very long circuits. QEC is a critical ingredient to large-scale quantum computing and the sooner it can be explored on today's hardware, the faster it can be demonstrated at large-scale.
