By Sinisa Markovic
Publication Date: 2025-11-12 12:48:00
IBM is taking another major step toward its goal of achieving quantum advantage by 2026 and fault-tolerant quantum computing by 2029, unveiling its most advanced quantum processor yet, IBM Quantum Nighthawk.
IBM Quantum Nighthawk processor
The new processor, revealed today, is built on a redesigned architecture meant to pair with high-performance quantum software. IBM says this combination could enable Nighthawk to deliver quantum advantage as soon as next year, the point when a quantum computer can outperform every classical-only method on a specific problem.
Expected to reach IBM users by the end of 2025, Nighthawk packs 120 qubits linked by 218 next-generation tunable couplers arranged in a square lattice, offering more than 20% greater connectivity than the company’s previous Heron processor. That extra interconnection, IBM says, allows users to execute circuits with 30% greater complexity while keeping error rates low.
The architecture is designed to handle…