IBM has partnered with Japanese research lab RIKEN to deploy IBM’s next-generation quantum computer at the RIKEN Center for Computational Science in Kobe, Japan. The quantum computer will be integrated with the supercomputer Fugaku, marking the first instance of such a co-location. The project, supported by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, aims to demonstrate the benefits of hybrid computational platforms in the post-5G era. The system will be powered by a 133-qubit ‘IBM Quantum Heron’ processor, IBM’s best performing quantum processor to date. Key individuals involved include Dr. Mitsuhisa Sato of RIKEN and Jay Gambetta of IBM.
IBM’s Next-Generation Quantum System to be Integrated with Fugaku Supercomputer
IBM has recently entered into an agreement with RIKEN, a Japanese national research laboratory, to deploy IBM’s next-generation quantum computer architecture and its highest-performing quantum processor at the RIKEN Center for Computational Science in Kobe, Japan. This will be the only instance of a quantum computer being co-located with the supercomputer Fugaku.
The agreement is part of RIKEN’s existing project, which is supported by funding from the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), an organization under Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). The project, titled “Development of Integrated Utilization Technology for Quantum and Supercomputers,” is part of the “Project for Research and Development of Enhanced Infrastructures for Post 5G Information and Communications Systems.”
RIKEN’s Project and IBM’s Role
RIKEN, along with its co-PI SoftBank Corp., and collaborators, University of Tokyo, and Osaka University, aims to demonstrate the advantages of hybrid computational platforms for deployment as services in the future post-5G era. This is based on the vision of advancing science and business in Japan.
IBM will contribute to the project by developing the software stack dedicated to generating and executing integrated quantum-classical workflows in a heterogeneous quantum-HPC hybrid computing environment. These new capabilities will be geared towards delivering improvements in algorithm quality and execution times.
IBM Quantum System Two and Quantum-Centric Supercomputing
The IBM Quantum System Two, which will be deployed at RIKEN and integrated with Fugaku, includes IBM’s plans to introduce its next-generation quantum computing architecture. This architecture combines expandable cryogenic infrastructure, modular quantum control electronics, and advanced system software to deliver quantum computing services that work alongside traditional HPC services.
Quantum-centric supercomputing emerges from integrated quantum and classical computing resources, working together in parallelized workloads, to run computations beyond what was possible before. IBM Quantum System Two constitutes a fundamental building block towards this architecture.
IBM Quantum Heron Processor
The system will be powered by a 133-qubit ‘IBM Quantum Heron’ processor. IBM Heron is the first in a new series of quantum processors with an architecture that delivers the highest performance metrics of any IBM Quantum processor that has been released, to date. Experiments on IBM Heron also had the lowest error rates of any IBM Quantum processor, offering a five-fold improvement over the previous best records set by IBM Eagle.
Future of Quantum-HPC Hybrid Computing
RIKEN is committed to developing system software for quantum-HPC hybrid computing, leveraging its comprehensive scientific research capabilities and experience in the development and operation of cutting-edge supercomputers, such as Fugaku. IBM’s agreement with RIKEN marks a significant step in the journey towards a future defined by quantum-centric supercomputing. This work will advance the industry towards a modular and flexible architecture that combines quantum computation and communication with classical computing resources, so that both paradigms can work together to solve increasingly complex problems.
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