Quantum computer news for September

[John Clark]

There have been some important developments in the field of quantum computing during September, for example:

A 3,000 quantum-bit system capable of continuous operation

In their paper from the September 15, 2025 issue of the journal Nature:

Continuous operation of a coherent 3,000-qubit system

The authors say: 

"Our results pave the way for realization of large-scale continuously operated atomic clocks, sensors, and fault-tolerant quantum computers. [...]  We demonstrated the continuous operation with a 3,000-qubit system, but it's also clear that this approach will work for much larger numbers as well. [...]  We're showing a way where you can insert new atoms as you naturally lose them without destroying the information that's already in the system."

There is a second paper of interest published in Nature on September 10. 

Probing the Kitaev honeycomb model on a neutral-atom quantum computer

Researchers found a way to configure atomic arrays so they simulate quantum magnets, this allows them to change the connectivity between quantum processors during computation. One of the authors of the paper said "We can literally reconfigure the atomic quantum computer while it's operating. Basically, the system becomes a living organism."

And there is a third paper from Nature published on September 24, a team demonstrated a new method of quantum error correction:

Low-overhead transversal fault tolerance for universal quantum computation 

The lead author said he thinks with this new method it should be possible to build a quantum computer that can execute billions of operations and continue running for days and "Realizing this dream is now in our direct sight for the first time, ever. One can really see a very direct path towards realizing it"

In a fourth development the quantum computer company "Alice and Bob" announced a few days ago that they have produced superconducting "quantum cat "cubits that remain resistant to flip errors for more than an hour, the previous record was seven minutes. 

Alice & Bob Shares Preliminary Results Vastly Surpassing Previous Bit-Flip Time Record

John K Clark    See what's on my new list at  Extropolis

7bb

[Brent Meeker]

Ironically it seems we'll get quantum computers to work at about the same time we realize they're not very useful.

Brent

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[John Clark]

On Tue, Sep 30, 2025 at 12:07 AM Brent Meeker <meeke...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Ironically it seems we'll get quantum computers to work at about the same time we realize they're not very useful.

The quantum computer company Alice & Bob’s claims they are on track to have by 2030 a fault tolerant quantum computer with 100 logical qubits. I don't know if they will reach their goal but it doesn't seem to be beyond the realm of possibility, and if they do it will change the world. Such a machine could accurately simulate the ground state energy of moderately complex molecules such as iron/sulfur clusters that are important in biological enzymes. It could simulate small superconductors, magnetic materials, and high-temperature catalysts. It could speed up data search thanks to Grover's algorithm, and optimize logistics and scheduling problems.

One specific example is it could simulate nitrogenase, or at least the active electrons in it that are important for bonding, and nitrogenase is the enzyme that plants used to break the enormously strong triple bonds in nitrogen molecules in the air so they can be used by biological organisms. Plants are able to do that using very little energy, but nobody has a good understanding of how they do it, so we have to use the Haber–Bosch process which is so inefficient it uses about 2% of the human race's entire energy budget, but without it hundreds of millions of people would starve to death. It would be nice if we had something better. 

And of course such a machine would be very useful for cryptography. But probably the most important things of all are things we currently don't know anything about and will not until we have a large low fault quantum computer that we can fool around with. 

John K Clark    See what's on my new list at  Extropolis

lfq

\

[John Clark]

On Tue, Sep 30, 2025 at 2:09 PM John Clark <johnk...@gmail.com> wrote:\

By the way, IBM says they will have a 200 logical qubit fault tolerant quantum computer by 2029. They call it "Starling". And they say they will have one with a few thousand logical qubits capable of breaking 2048-bit RSA encryption (or bitcoin) in the early 2030s. Google also says they will have a quantum machine that can break 2048-bit RSA encryption in the "early 2030s".  Google's timeline is roughly similar to IBM's, although they don't mention a specific year for a 200 qubit machine.

John K Clark    See what's on my new list at  Extropolis

Brent Meeker <meeke...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Ironically it seems we'll get quantum computers to work at about the same time we realize they're not very useful.

The quantum computer company Alice & Bob’s claims they are on track to have by 2030 a fault tolerant quantum computer with 100 logical qubits. I don't know if they will reach their goal but it doesn't seem to be beyond the realm of possibility, and if they do it will change the world. Such a machine could accurately simulate the ground state energy of moderately complex molecules such as iron/sulfur clusters that are important in biological enzymes. It could simulate small superconductors, magnetic materials, and high-temperature catalysts. It could speed up data search thanks to Grover's algorithm, and optimize logistics and scheduling problems.

One specific example is it could simulate nitrogenase, or at least the active electrons in it that are important for bonding, and nitrogenase is the enzyme that plants used to break the enormously strong triple bonds in nitrogen molecules in the air so they can be used by biological organisms. Plants are able to do that using very little energy, but nobody has a good understanding of how they do it, so we have to use the Haber–Bosch process which is so inefficient it uses about 2% of the human race's entire energy budget, but without it hundreds of millions of people would starve to death. It would be nice if we had something better. 

And of course such a machine would be very useful for cryptography. But probably the most important things of all are things we currently don't know anything about and will not until we have a large low fault quantum computer that we can fool around with.