Superconducting circuits
Engineered electrical circuits operated at cryogenic temperatures. Control systems and cooling form part of the infrastructure.
IBM overview >Technology
A different way to compute.
A practical introduction to quantum systems, from physical hardware to the software that connects experiments to classical computing.
Qubits are the starting point.
Quantum circuits use carefully controlled operations on qubits. Interference changes the probabilities of measurement outcomes. Repeated measurements help estimate those probabilities.
Useful results depend on the algorithm, the hardware and the problem. Qubit count alone cannot tell you whether a system is suitable.
Evaluation principle
Compare complete workloads.
Ask about circuit depth, connectivity, error rates, sampling, data preparation and the best available classical method.
Architectures to understand.
Trapped ions
Charged atoms held and controlled within a system. Compare connectivity, gate operations and the full execution workflow.
IonQ overview >Other approaches
Neutral atoms, photons and semiconductor spins are also being investigated. Architectural trade-offs require workload-specific study.
Background reading >Physical and logical qubits
A physical qubit is a hardware element. A logical qubit encodes information using error-correction techniques. Resource needs depend on the code, noise, operations and required reliability; there is no universal conversion ratio.
Quantum within a classical workflow
Prepare a problem using classical tools, build and compile circuits, execute or simulate them, then analyse the measurements. Each stage has a cost and a validation requirement. A quantum processor is one part of this workflow.
The homepage image is a conceptual visual of cryogenic equipment. It does not depict an owned facility or a specific provider’s system.
Sources & reading
- IBM quantum computing explainer
Updated 2 April 2026 - IBM fault-tolerance architecture
10 June 2025 - IBM quantum overview
Undated; accessed 11 November 2026 - IonQ corporate overview
Undated; accessed 11 November 2026
Reviewed 11 November 2026. Provider announcements are attributed claims. Roadmap dates are targets subject to change.
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