The University of Tokyo (UTokyo) and IBM are teaming up to bring the latest 156-qubit IBM Heron quantum processing unit (QPU) to the IBM Quantum System One, managed by UTokyo for the Quantum Innovation Initiative (QII) Consortium. This Heron QPU, with its tunable-coupler design, offers a big performance jump compared to the one installed back in 2023.
This is the second upgrade for the IBM Quantum System One in this partnership. It started with a 27-qubit IBM Falcon QPU, then moved to a 127-qubit IBM Eagle QPU in 2023, and now it’s set to switch to the powerful Heron QPU later this year. IBM has set up four Heron systems worldwide, and they’ve shown impressive gains over the Eagle—think 3-4 times better two-qubit error rates, a tenfold boost in overall performance across 100-qubit layers, a 60 percent speed increase with higher CLOPS, and uptime above 95 percent. The Heron has already proven its worth with real-world tasks, supporting studies that hit over 5,000 gate operations.
UTokyo also plans to connect the IBM Quantum System One to the Miyabi supercomputer later this year, creating a quantum-centric powerhouse. This will open up new computing possibilities for QII users in fields like chemistry, bioinformatics, high-energy physics, materials science, finance, and more. Miyabi, run jointly by UTokyo and the University of Tsukuba through the Joint Center for Advanced High Performance Computing (JCAHPC), uses top-notch CPUs and GPUs across its Miyabi-C and Miyabi-G subsystems. Linking it with the Heron-powered system will let QII members tackle tough problems, like getting more accurate quantum measurements with neural network tools.
“This upgrade to the Heron quantum processor, tied to our Miyabi supercomputer, will help us explore new ways to use quantum and AI tech,” said Hiroaki Aihara, Executive Vice President at UTokyo. “It’ll expand what we can compute in science and speed up solutions for big challenges.”
“By adding our top-performing Heron QPU to UTokyo’s IBM Quantum System One and connecting it to Miyabi, UTokyo joins the global leaders shaping the future of supercomputing,” said Jay Gambetta, Vice President of IBM Quantum. “This quantum-centric setup will give QII members powerful new tools to solve problems that could lead to quantum breakthroughs.”
Since the Japan-IBM Quantum Partnership kicked off in 2019, UTokyo has been working to bring quantum computing to more people in Japan. The partnership, which includes the QII Consortium since 2020, aims to boost collaboration between industry, academia, and government to keep Japan ahead in quantum science, business, and education. The consortium has published over 140 research papers using the IBM Quantum System One in Japan. UTokyo is also part of a group with universities in Japan, South Korea, and the U.S. to train over 40,000 students for quantum jobs in the next decade.
Note: The Heron QPU deployment at UTokyo’s IBM Quantum System One and its link to the Miyabi supercomputer depend on getting the right export licenses and finalizing agreements.
What do you think about this quantum leap? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Source: IBM News
