University of Kwazulu-Natal

Quantum Computing 2025 Update State Of Qubits Advancements

Bonisiwe Shabane
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quantum computing 2025 update state of qubits advancements

Nature Electronics volume 8, page 547 (2025)Cite this article The field of quantum computing has advanced rapidly in 2025, but the technology still faces substantial challenges in terms of scaling up. Back in January, we selected quantum computing as our technology of the year for 2025. The origins of quantum computing can be traced back to proposals from the early 1980s. In the 1990s, the potential of a quantum processor to vastly outperform a conventional processor became clearer, and concrete suggestions for how to build such a machine followed. It is, however, more recently that quantum hardware has really begun to take shape, with a number of powerful demonstrations emerging from research groups in both academia and industry last year, fuelling growing excitement...

The rapid pace of development has continued since January. In February, for instance, a research team from PsiQuantum reported in Nature a manufacturable platform for photonic quantum computing2. That month also saw Microsoft announce in a press release that it had created topological qubits3; the announcement was however greeted with a degree of scepticism from the community4. Then in March, a team led by researchers from D-Wave Quantum reported in Science that superconducting quantum annealing processors could outperform state-of-the-art classical simulators5. And last month, researchers from academic institutes and companies in Australia and Japan reported in Nature that a complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) chip operating at millikelvin temperatures could be used to control silicon metal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS)-type... The rapid advance of the technology this year has also been seen in the pages of Nature Electronics.

Our May issue, for instance, featured work from Jinchen Wang and colleagues at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Cornell University on building wireless terahertz cryogenic interconnects for use in quantum computing7. In this issue, Wolfgang Pfaff and colleagues at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign report the development of elementary networks of interchangeable superconducting qubit devices; an approach that provides a modular architecture that could... NEW YORK – December 30, 2025 – The hype around quantum computing has been building for years, often feeling like a distant promise. But late 2025 data reveals a significant shift: quantum computing is no longer just theoretical. While widespread, everyday quantum applications remain years away, demonstrable progress in hardware, error correction, and accessibility is bringing the technology tantalizingly closer to practical use. Forget replacing your laptop – for now.

But prepare for a future reshaped by its potential. Quantum computing leverages the bizarre principles of quantum mechanics – superposition and entanglement – to perform calculations beyond the reach of even the most powerful supercomputers. Unlike classical bits representing 0 or 1, quantum bits, or qubits, can exist as both simultaneously, exponentially increasing processing power. “We’re past the ‘if’ stage and firmly into the ‘when’ stage,” says Dr. Evelyn Reed, lead researcher at the Quantum Innovation Institute. “The question isn’t if quantum computers will solve real-world problems, but when they’ll be able to do so reliably and at scale.”

For years, the race has been about qubit count. IBM’s Osprey processor boasting 433 qubits, and Google’s continued advancements, grabbed headlines. However, experts increasingly emphasize quantum volume – a metric factoring in qubit count, connectivity, and crucially, error rates – as a more accurate measure of performance. A high qubit count is useless if those qubits are too unstable to perform meaningful calculations. “It’s like having a thousand light bulbs, but half of them flicker constantly,” explains Marcus Chen, a quantum software engineer at Rigetti Computing. “You need stable, interconnected qubits to build anything useful.”

An official website of the United States government Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2025/04/quantum-breakthroughs-nist-sqms-lead-way While quantum computing might seem like technology for the distant future, the breakthroughs from the collaboration between Fermilab’s Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems (SQMS) Center, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and...

NIST is dedicated to pushing the frontiers of quantum computing and making that technology viable, scalable, and energy efficient. Credit: Bartlomiej K. Wroblewski / Shutterstock The “Quantum Index Report” is a comprehensive assessment of the technology and the global landscape, from patents to the quantum workforce. Quantum computing is evolving into a tangible technology that holds significant business and commercial promise, although the exact timing of when it will impact those areas remains unclear, according to a new report led... The “Quantum Index Report 2025” charts the technology’s momentum, with a comprehensive, data-driven assessment of the state of quantum technologies.

The inaugural report aims to make quantum computing and networking technologies more accessible to entrepreneurs, investors, teachers, and business decision makers — all of whom will play a critical role in how quantum computing... 2025 has been a milestone year for quantum computing, marked by record-breaking experiments and technological firsts. Researchers unveiled the first topological quantum processor – an 8-qubit device using exotic Majorana particles for inherently stable qubits Sciencedaily Sciencedaily. In another leap, D-Wave’s annealing computer solved a complex magnetic simulation in minutes – a task so complex it would take a classical supercomputer essentially millions of years Dwavequantum. “Our achievement shows we can solve problems beyond the reach of the world’s most powerful supercomputers,” said D-Wave CEO Alan Baratz of this result Dwavequantum. Late 2024 set the stage for these advances: Google debuted its 105-qubit “Willow” superconducting chip with unprecedented error-correction performance Mckinsey, and IBM crossed the 1,000-qubit milestone with its Condor processor Notebookcheck.

Such achievements reflect what one report calls a shift “from development to deployment”, as quantum hardware becomes more powerful and reliable Mckinsey. Multiple quantum technologies are progressing in parallel. The leading approach, superconducting qubits (IBM, Google, etc.), has already scaled into the hundreds of qubits on a single chip. Trapped-ion qubits (IonQ, Quantinuum) offer the highest gate fidelities – IonQ recently surpassed 99.9% two-qubit fidelity on a prototype system Quantumcomputingreport – though operations are slower. Quantum annealing (pioneered by D-Wave) uses thousands of qubits for optimization problems; D-Wave’s Advantage machine with 5,000+ qubits has shown a clear speedup for certain tasks Dwavequantum. Photonic quantum computers (PsiQuantum, Xanadu) encode qubits in photons traveling through optical circuits; a 2025 breakthrough achieved ultra-low-loss photonic chips, a key step for scaling up optical qubits Phys.

Other approaches, like neutral atoms (Pasqal, QuEra) and topological qubits(Microsoft’s focus), are also making progress. This “quantum zoo” of technologies Phys indicates a healthy, multi-pronged drive toward the same goal: more qubits with less error. Quantum computing is beginning to show real use cases across industries: Governments worldwide consider quantum technology a strategic priority and have escalated investments: Significant challenges remain on the path to large-scale quantum computing. The foremost issue is error correction: today’s qubits are highly error-prone and lose coherence quickly.

Reaching fault-tolerance will require implementing quantum error-correcting codes that use many physical qubits to create one reliable logical qubit. This demands qubit counts in the thousands (or more) and error rates far below current levels. Steady progress is being made – for instance, researchers have shown that bigger quantum error-correcting codes can suppress error rates Thequantuminsider – but truly error-corrected, long computations are not yet possible. What if the most complex problems plaguing industries today—curing diseases, optimizing global supply chains, or even securing digital communication—could be solved in a fraction of the time it takes now? Quantum computing, once the stuff of science fiction, is no longer a distant dream. With breakthroughs like Google’s 105-qubit “Willow” processor and Microsoft’s topological qubits, the race toward fault-tolerant quantum systems is heating up.

These advancements are not just incremental; they’re fantastic, promising to redefine the limits of computation and disrupt industries across the globe. The question is no longer if quantum computing will change the world, but how soon—and how profoundly—it will happen. ExplainingComputers explores the most pivotal developments in quantum computing as of 2025, from innovative hardware innovations to the emergence of post-quantum cryptography. You’ll discover how companies like IBM and SciQuantum are tackling challenges like quantum error correction and scalability, and why these breakthroughs matter for everything from drug discovery to financial modeling. But this isn’t just about technology—it’s about the societal shifts and opportunities that quantum computing will unlock. As we stand on the brink of a quantum revolution, the implications are as exciting as they are daunting.

What will this new era of computation mean for you, your industry, and the world at large? Quantum computing operates on the principles of quantum mechanics, using qubits as its fundamental units of information. Unlike classical bits, which exist in a binary state of 0 or 1, qubits can exist in multiple states simultaneously through the phenomena of superposition and entanglement. This unique capability allows quantum computers to process vast amounts of data in parallel, offering computational power far beyond that of classical systems. However, qubits are inherently fragile and susceptible to environmental interference, leading to errors during computation. To address this challenge, researchers employ quantum error correction codes, which combine multiple physical qubits to create a single logical qubit.

Logical qubits are a critical step toward building fault-tolerant quantum systems, allowing reliable and scalable quantum computation. These advancements are paving the way for practical applications, making quantum computing a viable solution for complex problems. The past two years have been pivotal for quantum computing, with leading technology companies achieving significant milestones. These developments are shaping the future of the field and bringing us closer to realizing the full potential of quantum systems: When it comes to quantum technology (QT), investment is surging and breakthroughs are multiplying. The United Nations has designated 2025 the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, celebrating 100 years since the initial development of quantum mechanics.

Our research confirms that QT is gaining widespread traction worldwide. McKinsey’s fourth annual Quantum Technology Monitor covers last year’s breakthroughs, investment trends, and emerging opportunities in this fast-evolving landscape. In 2024, the QT industry saw a shift from growing quantum bits (qubits) to stabilizing qubits—and that marks a turning point. It signals to mission-critical industries that QT could soon become a safe and reliable component of their technology infrastructure. To that end, this year’s report provides a special deep dive into the fast-growing market of quantum communication, which could unlock the security needed for widespread QT uptake. Quantum technology encompasses three subfields:

Our new research shows that the three core pillars of QT—quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum sensing—could together generate up to $97 billion in revenue worldwide by 2035. Quantum computing will capture the bulk of that revenue, growing from $4 billion in revenue in 2024 to as much as $72 billion in 2035 (see sidebar “What is quantum technology?”). While QT will affect many industries, the chemicals, life sciences, finance, and mobility industries will see the most growth. McKinsey initiated its annual quantum technology report in 2021 to track the rapidly evolving quantum technology landscape. We analyze three principal areas of the field: quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum sensing. The analysis is based on input from various sources, including publicly available data, expert interviews, and proprietary McKinsey analyses.

The conclusions and estimations have been cross-checked across market databases and validated through investor reports, press releases, and expert input. Because not all deal values are publicly disclosed and databases are updated continuously, our research does not provide a definitive or exhaustive list of start-ups, funding activities, investment splits, or patents and publications.

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