By Karsten Rabeneck-Ketme
Publication Date: 2026-11-08 05:00:00
120 qubits may not sound particularly impressive on paper when compared with the core counts of modern processors or the enormous compute units of current AI accelerators. However, a quantum computer works in a fundamentally different way from a classical computer system. On November 6, 2026, IBM and the University of Chicago officially commissioned their latest Quantum System Two at the Hyde Park Labs site. At its heart is the Quantum Nighthawk processor with 120 qubits and 218 tunable couplers. The system is intended to help researchers and businesses further develop complex quantum algorithms. At the same time, it is becoming clear that the performance of such computers can no longer be judged solely by the number of qubits they have.
The new quantum computer is initially located at Hyde Park Labs in southern Chicago. The research building opened in 2025 and houses scientific institutions as well as young technology companies, among others. IBM Quantum System Two is…