IonQ has announced the commercial availability of IonQ Forte, its highest-performing quantum computer. Forte uses acousto-optic deflectors (AODs) to direct laser beams at individual qubits, resulting in higher performance, support for more qubits, and increased software-driven flexibility. The system’s computing power has increased to an Algorithmic Quality (AQ) of 29, allowing customers to run circuits using up to 29 qubits and around 840 gates. This advancement opens up new possibilities for applications in areas such as optimization, computer vision, and boolean satisfiability problems.
IonQ Forte: A High-Performing Commercial Quantum Computer
IonQ has announced the commercial availability of IonQ Forte, their highest-performing quantum computer to date. The company measures performance based on a system’s ability to return useful, measurable results for practical algorithms, known as the #AQ metric. Forte’s #AQ is 29, making it the most powerful commercially available quantum computer from IonQ.
Forte offers several improvements over previous systems, including the integration of highly specialized acousto-optic deflectors (AODs) to direct laser beams at individual qubits in the ion chain to apply logic gates. This results in higher performance, support for more qubits, and increased software-driven flexibility. The new approach provides unprecedented precision and stability to the laser beams, contributing to higher fidelity and reliability by minimizing noise and unintended residual light on neighboring qubits.
New Possibilities for Customers with Forte
Forte’s increased computing power has allowed select existing partners to explore new use cases in cooperation with IonQ’s Applications team. Early results have been promising, with work already done on a number of interesting applications that were not possible on previously commercially available systems.
For example, an algorithm was co-developed with a partner to solve optimization problems. Forte has also begun running computer vision projects that were impossible to run on either Aria or Harmony, as well as boolean satisfiability problems that lay the groundwork for potential near-term algorithms capable of demonstrating quantum advantage.
Higher Performance and Fidelity
Forte’s higher #AQ means customers can now run circuits that use up to 29 qubits and roughly 840 gates. High fidelity is crucial for running longer algorithms required to solve complex problems. Forte increases fidelity through new AODs that allow customers to use software to configure the laser beams directed at individual qubits in the ion chain to apply logic gates. This software-controlled method increases the precision of the laser pulses, which is a critical part of accurate calculations.
Error mitigation techniques further push the boundaries of accuracy, allowing customers to solve larger problem sizes than any other system. A strategy based on symmetrization and nonlinear aggregation has also been introduced, improving the performance of multiple practical algorithms by 100x with no qubit or gate overhead.
Most Powerful Commercial Quantum Computer
Forte combines an #AQ of 29 and 32 qubits with increased fidelity, making it the most powerful commercially available quantum computer. This allows customers to generate more possible answers from their quantum circuit, setting the standard for the accuracy and nuance of quantum calculations.
Each additional qubit doubles the power of a quantum computer. At #AQ 25, IonQ was able to offer customers 33.5 million usable computational states. With Forte’s #AQ 29, the usable computational states have increased to 536,870,912. This large increase in the volume of possible terms presents new and exciting possibilities for complex use cases like chemistry or machine learning.
Forte Outperforms Previous Systems
Forte has been tested with the full suite of benchmark algorithms that comprise #AQ and has been confirmed to outperform any of IonQ’s previous quantum systems with the same number of tested qubits. By making Forte’s combination of power and accuracy accessible to all commercial customers, IonQ is raising the bar for what is possible with quantum computing. This expanded access could lead to many new applications that are impossible on any other commercially available quantum computer.
“Forte can accurately run the widest circuits of any commercially available quantum computer. This means Forte allows our customers to generate more possible answers from their quantum circuit–setting the standard for the accuracy and nuance of quantum calculations.” – IonQ Staff
Summary
IonQ has launched its highest-performing commercially available quantum computer, IonQ Forte, which offers improved accuracy and scale, enabling customers to run circuits using up to 29 qubits and around 840 gates. The new system’s increased computing power and fidelity open up new possibilities for complex use cases such as chemistry and machine learning.
- IonQ announces the commercial availability of IonQ Forte, their highest-performing quantum computer.
- IonQ Forte’s performance is measured using the #AQ metric, based on algorithmic benchmarking protocols established by the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C).
- The system integrates acousto-optic deflectors (AODs) to direct laser beams at individual qubits, resulting in higher performance, support for more qubits, and increased software-driven flexibility.
- Forte’s computing power has increased to #AQ 29, enabling customers to run circuits using up to 29 qubits and approximately 840 gates.
- The new AODs and error mitigation techniques improve fidelity and accuracy, allowing customers to solve larger problem sizes than any other system.
- Forte can accurately run the widest circuits of any commercially available quantum computer, offering up to 536,870,912 usable computational states.
- IonQ aims to raise the bar for what is possible with quantum computing and hopes that the expanded access to Forte will lead to new applications not possible on other commercially available quantum computers.
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