IBM has announced a major breakthrough in quantum computing with the launch of Quantum Nighthawk, a 120-qubit processor featuring 218 tunable couplers and 30% higher circuit complexity than previous models. The company plans to deliver the processor to users by end of 2025, marking a critical step toward achieving practical quantum advantage.

“There are many pillars to bringing truly useful quantum computing to the world,” said Jay Gambetta, Director of IBM Research. “IBM is uniquely positioned to rapidly scale quantum hardware, software, fabrication, and error correction.”

Alongside Nighthawk, IBM unveiled Quantum Loon, an experimental processor integrating all core components needed for fault-tolerant quantum computing. Loon delivers a tenfold improvement in quantum error correction decoding speed, reaching this milestone ahead of schedule.

IBM’s roadmap targets verified quantum advantage by 2026 and fault-tolerant systems by 2029. Strategic collaborations with Algorithmiq, Flatiron Institute, and BlueQubit have yielded promising experimental outcomes, according to Sabrina Maniscalco, CEO of Algorithmiq. With enhanced Qiskit software, Albany NanoTech fabrication, and a global innovation roadmap, IBM is accelerating the path to scalable, high-fidelity quantum computing for science and industry.