On May 4, IBM announced the build of a quantum processor that marks one of the foundational components of the quantum computing platform branded the IBM Quantum Experience. Available through the IBM Cloud, IBM’s quantum processor contains five supercomputing qubits that represent IBM’s progress toward building a universal quantum computer. Whereas classical computers use binary bits that occupy a state of 1 or 0, qubits can range from 1, 0, or both 1 and 0 (10 and 01) in a state known as superposition. The ability of qubits to occupy states other than 1 and 0 enable quantum computers to perform calculations with speeds that are unattainable to classical computers. IBM’s five qubit processor represents a step toward building a universal quantum computer that can perform calculations at speeds that enable it to embrace use cases involving the sciences and artificial intelligence that are currently inaccessible to classical computing. The availability of the IBM Quantum Experience differentiates the IBM Cloud from competitors such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure and marks yet another moment in which cloud computing has radically democratized access to advanced analytics and computing technologies. Anyone with an interest in quantum computing can access the IBM Quantum Experience at www.ibm.com/quantumcomputing.
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