Over the past few months, some significant breakthroughs in quantum computing technology have indicated how quickly the technology is evolving.
While it remains very much in the domain of academia and researchers tackling error correction, the roadmaps of quantum computing businesses suggest that useful machines are on their way.
IBM’s roadmap shows that this year, there will be a move away from its current Heron machine to a new device called Flamingo, which is effectively based on connecting two Heron devices together.
During its first quantum computing developer conference in November 2024, IBM demonstrated the connectivity technology, called L-couplers, which connects two Heron R2 chips with four connectors measuring up to a metre long. Flamingo marks the start of a three-year programme to evolve the number of gates on a quantum device from 5,000 to 15,000 by 2028, using a modular quantum computing architecture.
In February, Microsoft published research of topological qubits called Majorana fermions, which the company anticipated would offer more stable qubits, requiring less error correction. It’s also working on a device called Majorana 1, which can be used to detect these qubits, enabling it to be used in running quantum computing calculations.
Will Ashford-Brown, director of strategic insights at Heligan Group, said: “Every day we inch closer to realising commercial quantum usage for real applications. Size, cooling, price, speed and impact are all part of the long tail of improvements, but it would seem we are at the point where commercial application, investment and opportunity are knocking at the door.”
He anticipates that the availability of a new generation of quantum computing platforms will result in a surge in customer demand. “Presently, the market has been mostly limited to national research laboratories and supercomputing labs,” said Ashford-Brown. “But commercial adoption is getting started, beginning with the tech giants. Microsoft, Amazon, Google and IBM have all partnered with quantum computing startups to provide quantum-based cloud services or are developing their own machines.”
Industrial applications
While quantum computing evolves, there’s also a lot of interest in hybrid approaches that can take advantage of the technology to speed up computationally complex calculations.
D-Wave, for instance, recently expanded its quantum-optimisation offering, with several initiatives aimed at boosting adoption. It said Ford Otosan, a joint venture between Ford Motor Company and Koç Holding in Turkey, has deployed a hybrid-quantum application in production based on D-Wave technology, which streamlines manufacturing processes for the Ford Transit.
The US has an eight-year plan to make quantum computing commercially useful. Alice & Bob, Quantinuum and Rigetti are among 10 quantum computing businesses selected by the US Department of Defense to participate in the first stage of the agency’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI). This aims to assess the feasibility of building an industrially useful quantum computer by 2033.
These developments represent a small snapshot of the immense work taking place across the tech sector to develop quantum computing and hybrid architectures that use quantum technology to accelerate computationally difficult tasks.
Graeme Malcolm, founder and CEO of M Squared Lasers, believes there is now a need for a decisive commercial push. “The industry is on the cusp of crossing the so-called ‘quantum valley of death’ – a pivotal transition from research excellence to commercial reality,” he said.
Given the government’s recent injection of funding, which will see £121m being put up to drive development of quantum technology in the UK, he added: “Our collective focus must now shift to industrialisation. A nation without quantum will be a nation without critical advantage.”
However, in spite of the progress being made, a survey from Economist Impact recently reported that 57% of respondents believe misconceptions about quantum computing are actively hindering advancement. The findings suggest a disconnect between technological development and business readiness, reinforcing the need for better communication, education and alignment at the executive level to maintain the momentum of progress.
Helen Ponsford, head of trade, technology and industry events programming at Economist Impact, said: “With 80% of respondents stating that demonstrating industry-specific use cases is essential to accelerating adoption, and two-thirds highlighting the importance of proving return on investment, the message is clear: commercial relevance must closely follow scientific breakthroughs for quantum to sustain its growth.”
First piece of quantum jigsaw
Although there has been plenty of progress in making quantum computing technology available to software developers through platforms and software developer kits, no discussion on quantum computing is complete without addressing security concerns, which need to be in place well before mass adoption.
Looking at quantum-safe cryptography, Daniel Shiu, chief cryptographer at Arqit, said: “Even though the timeline for a viable quantum computer is uncertain, two things are clear – the industry is advancing and the threat is already here. Any systems compromised today could have their data decrypted once quantum machines arrive, unless adequately protected. Quantum security is a concern we need to address now.”
