University of Kwazulu-Natal

Quantum Computing In 2025 Breakthroughs Reality And What S Next

Bonisiwe Shabane
-
quantum computing in 2025 breakthroughs reality and what s next

In my earlier article “The Rise of Quantum Computing: Reshaping the Future,” I explored how quantum technology was moving from theory to early prototypes. Fast forward to 2025... the conversation has shifted. Quantum computing is no longer a distant promise on the horizon; it’s an emerging reality, with real systems, tangible use cases, and new challenges shaping its trajectory. Let’s break down what’s new, what’s real, and where we’re headed next. Quantum hardware has taken an undeniable leap forward this year.

In April, researchers built a 6,100-qubit neutral atom array that can operate at room temperature, a massive milestone that hints at scalability without requiring extreme cryogenic cooling. This record-setting development demonstrates that quantum systems can become larger and more practical than anyone imagined just a few years ago. Meanwhile, IonQ achieved a record Algorithmic Qubit (AQ) score of 64, outperforming projections and proving that progress isn’t just about quantity but also about quality, stable, error-tolerant qubits that can actually perform useful work. At MIT, engineers announced new superconducting circuits capable of increasing interaction strength by up to 10×, paving the way for faster, more efficient fault-tolerant operations. And IBM’s updated roadmap now targets modular, utility-scale quantum systems of 4,000+ qubits before the end of the decade, an ambitious goal, but one that signals confidence in the technology’s trajectory. 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. 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. In all the hype about AI it can be easy to forget that we’re witnessing another revolution in computing: the beginning of the quantum era.

Quantum computers are expected to tackle problems completely out of reach of today’s machines, bringing about new developments in chemistry, biology and physics. They’ll also be able to tackle problems of interest to the average enterprise, such as logistics, AI and encryption, proponents say. At the beginning of this year, however, it all seemed far away. “AI is dominating the attention economy,” says James Sanders, semiconductor industry analyst at TechInsights. “The incrementalism of quantum computing is difficult to translate to public interest, against the backdrop of AI.” In fact, in January, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said that quantum computing is still 15 to 30 years from being truly useful.

Quantum will likely become part of a mosaic, working with classical computing to solve big problems. By Gabe Dunn, Velu Sinha, Laurent-Pierre Baculard, Syed Ali, and Willy Chang This article is part of Bain’s Technology Report 2025 Over the past two years, quantum computing has moved closer to practical, real-world applications. Breakthroughs in fidelity, error correction, and scaling qubits (the basic units of quantum computing, like the 0’s and 1’s bits in classical computing) across platforms signal that it’s not a question of if but... Investment is following suit.

Tech giants like Alphabet, IBM, and Microsoft are doubling down, while governments are scaling national quantum strategies. And it’s not just computing: Quantum sensing, communication, and annealing (a technique for solving optimization problems) are already at work. Quantum computing is no longer a distant promise—it’s making tangible waves across industries in 2025. As the technology matures, companies, governments, and research institutions are shifting from theory to action, deploying quantum solutions that tackle some of the world’s most complex challenges. Here’s how the quantum surge is reshaping sectors, with real-world examples and sources to back it up. The integration of quantum processors with classical high-performance computing (HPC) is unlocking new frontiers in optimization, simulation, and machine learning.

This hybrid approach is now a commercial reality, not just a research aspiration. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Quantum Brilliance partnered in 2024 to advance hybrid quantum-classical computing, leveraging diamond-based quantum accelerators alongside traditional supercomputers. This collaboration aims to boost performance for scientific simulations and industrial optimization, marking a pivotal shift from lab prototypes to operational deployments (The Quantum Insider). Error correction remains the linchpin for scaling quantum computers. In 2025, more organizations are experimenting with logical qubits and advanced error correction schemes, moving quantum systems closer to fault tolerance. IBM’s 1,121-qubit “Condor” processor, launched in late 2024, incorporates advanced error correction protocols, enabling longer and more complex computations.

This breakthrough is already being used by research partners in chemistry and materials science to simulate molecular interactions previously out of reach (Moody’s). 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:

People Also Search

In My Earlier Article “The Rise Of Quantum Computing: Reshaping

In my earlier article “The Rise of Quantum Computing: Reshaping the Future,” I explored how quantum technology was moving from theory to early prototypes. Fast forward to 2025... the conversation has shifted. Quantum computing is no longer a distant promise on the horizon; it’s an emerging reality, with real systems, tangible use cases, and new challenges shaping its trajectory. Let’s break down w...

In April, Researchers Built A 6,100-qubit Neutral Atom Array That

In April, researchers built a 6,100-qubit neutral atom array that can operate at room temperature, a massive milestone that hints at scalability without requiring extreme cryogenic cooling. This record-setting development demonstrates that quantum systems can become larger and more practical than anyone imagined just a few years ago. Meanwhile, IonQ achieved a record Algorithmic Qubit (AQ) score o...

Researchers Unveiled The First Topological Quantum Processor – An 8-qubit

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 solv...

The Leading Approach, Superconducting Qubits (IBM, Google, Etc.), Has Already

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 ...

Quantum Computing Is Beginning To Show Real Use Cases Across

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 impl...