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The Dawn Of Quantum Advantage Ibm Quantum Computing Blog

Bonisiwe Shabane
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the dawn of quantum advantage ibm quantum computing blog

The first claims of quantum advantage are emerging, but how will we know when it's really arrived? Researchers from IBM® and quantum startup Pasqal explore this and other questions in a new white paper now on arXiv. Quantum computing is about to enter an important stage — the era of quantum advantage. The first claims of quantum advantage are emerging, and over the next few years, we expect researchers and developers to continue presenting compelling hypotheses for quantum advantages. In turn, the broader community will either disprove these hypotheses with cutting-edge techniques — or the advantage holds. Put simply, quantum advantage means that a quantum computer can run a computation more accurately, cheaply, or efficiently than a classical computer.

Between now and the end of 2026, we predict that the quantum community will have uncovered the first quantum advantages. But there's more to it than that. We have arrived already at a place where quantum computing is a useful scientific tool capable of performing computations that even the best exact classical algorithms can’t. We and our partners are already conducting a range of experiments on quantum computers that are competitive with the leading classical approximation methods. At the same time, computing researchers are testing advantage claims with innovative new classical approaches. So, how will we know if and when we’ve achieved quantum advantage?

We predict the quantum community will uncover quantum advantage by the end of 2026, but how will we know when it's arrived? YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, New York – November 12, 2025 – At the annual Quantum Developer Conference, IBM (NYSE: IBM) today unveiled fundamental progress on its path to delivering both quantum advantage by the end of... “There are many pillars to bringing truly useful quantum computing to the world,” said Jay Gambetta, Director of IBM Research and IBM Fellow. “We believe that IBM is the only company that is positioned to rapidly invent and scale quantum software, hardware, fabrication, and error correction to unlock transformative applications. We are thrilled to announce many of these milestones today.” IBM Quantum Computers Built to Scale Advantage

IBM is unveiling IBM Quantum Nighthawk, its most advanced quantum processor yet and designed with an architecture to complement high-performing quantum software to deliver quantum advantage next year: the point at which a quantum... IBM researcher holds IBM Quantum Nighthawk chip (Credit: IBM) Explore how quantum computing could revolutionize drug discovery, diagnostics, treatment, and research in health care. Learn from industry leaders how quantum computing has emerged as a powerful tool that is now transforming key industries and disciplines. Learn about real devices that far surpass classical ones, opening new frontiers in medical imaging and diagnostics, environmental monitoring, manufacturing, and GPS. Welcome back to the Circuit Breaker, where you can find the best recaps on the latest innovations in AI, quantum computing, semiconductors, and more, from across IBM Research and beyond.

🔍 IBM and startup Pasqal have published a white paper that defines quantum advantage and outlines how claims of quantum advantage can be scientifically validated. The paper also includes some ways this milestone can be achieved. “We believe quantum advantage will actually happen in 2026,” said IBM Research VP of Quantum Computing, Jay Gambetta, this spring at IBM’s flagship Think conference. But how, exactly, will we all agree when quantum advantage has been reached? Thus far the community has agreed that quantum advantage will be achieved when a quantum computer can perform a given computation more accurately, cheaply, or efficiently than a classical computer alone can. In the new paper, IBM and Pasqal add additional criteria to the definition: that the correctness of the quantum computer's output can be rigorously validated and withstand testing against the best classical methods.

Researchers also expect that this achievement will result from quantum computers augmenting classical workflows. IBM has been at the forefront of quantum computing research and development for several decades. As one of the leaders in applied quantum computing, IBM has indicated that it expects to achieve a quantum advantage within the next two years. This milestone will signify that quantum computers can outperform classical computers in solving common workloads, ushering in a new era of computational power and problem-solving capabilities. I’m writing this from Intel Vision this week just after an announcement that the IBM Cloud, which is the most secure Cloud implementation in the market, will be providing Intel Gaudi 3 technology, and... Given that IBM is positioning quantum technology as a kind of super-accelerator for supercomputers and is one of the leaders of AI deployments with a solid track record, this partnership should help advance IBM’s...

One of the first domains where quantum advantage is expected to manifest is in chemical and material discovery. IBM is actively collaborating with Bosch in this area, leveraging quantum computing to innovate and enhance material discovery processes. Bosch has already showcased significant advantages with IBM’s current quantum hardware, indicating that quantum computing is on the cusp of delivering substantial performance improvements. The impact of quantum computing is extending into healthcare and life sciences, revolutionizing various aspects of medical research and treatment. Quantum computing is facilitating advancements in network biology, virtual screening, protein design, and more. Moderna, in collaboration with IBM, is utilizing quantum computing to develop faster and more effective mRNA vaccines.

With the ability to perform advanced analysis using 80 qubits, this partnership is paving the way for accelerated vaccine development. Quantum computing is also serving as a massive accelerator for supercomputers. The first implementation of this technology in Japan is anticipated in Q2 2025, marking a significant leap in computational capabilities. By applying current quantum techniques, analyses that would traditionally take millions of years can now be completed in under two hours. This dramatic reduction in processing time is set to transform various scientific and industrial applications.

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Between now and the end of 2026, we predict that the quantum community will have uncovered the first quantum advantages. But there's more to it than that. We have arrived already at a place where quantum computing is a useful scientific tool capable of performing computations that even the best exact classical algorithms can’t. We and our partners are already conducting a range of experiments on q...

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We predict the quantum community will uncover quantum advantage by the end of 2026, but how will we know when it's arrived? YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, New York – November 12, 2025 – At the annual Quantum Developer Conference, IBM (NYSE: IBM) today unveiled fundamental progress on its path to delivering both quantum advantage by the end of... “There are many pillars to bringing truly useful quantum computin...

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🔍 IBM And Startup Pasqal Have Published A White Paper

🔍 IBM and startup Pasqal have published a white paper that defines quantum advantage and outlines how claims of quantum advantage can be scientifically validated. The paper also includes some ways this milestone can be achieved. “We believe quantum advantage will actually happen in 2026,” said IBM Research VP of Quantum Computing, Jay Gambetta, this spring at IBM’s flagship Think conference. But ...