IBM Entangles 128 Superconducting Qubits Above 0.5 Fidelity as Quantum Race Eyes Commercial Scale
Updated
Updated · SemiEngineering · Jul 9
IBM Entangles 128 Superconducting Qubits Above 0.5 Fidelity as Quantum Race Eyes Commercial Scale
3 articles · Updated · SemiEngineering · Jul 9
Summary
IBM’s latest benchmark—128 superconducting qubits entangled with fidelity above 0.5—offers a snapshot of current quantum-hardware progress, a level seen as meaningful because results below 50% can rule out some uses entirely.
That advance still falls short of commercial needs because superconducting qubits remain highly sensitive to temperature and electrical disturbances, while viable systems also need better error correction, algorithms and software.
Quantum machines are also likely to stay in data centers rather than spread like conventional computers, since leading superconducting designs operate near 0.04 K and require energy-intensive cryogenic infrastructure.
The wider field remains unsettled: neutral-atom experiments have loaded more than 10,000 controllable atoms, and QED-C now counts 132 member companies pursuing competing hardware paths.
Commercial timing is still uncertain, with QED-C members split between 3-to-5-year expectations and longer horizons, while widespread quantum deployment is still often projected for the 2040s or 2050s.
Beyond breaking codes, how will quantum's integration with AI and cloud computing reshape major industries within this decade?
With critical quantum components sourced from just a few nations, is the world heading toward a new era of 'quantum nationalism'?
IBM’s 128-Qubit Entanglement Sets New Quantum Computing Milestone and Accelerates Path to Commercialization
Overview
In July 2026, IBM set a new milestone by entangling 128 superconducting qubits, building on its earlier 120-qubit achievement. This progress highlights IBM’s steady scaling of quantum systems and brings quantum technology closer to real-world impact, including potential risks to digital assets. Achieving high fidelity in such large-scale entanglement is crucial, but remains challenging due to errors and measurement noise, which are major obstacles for reliable quantum operations. IBM’s ongoing efforts to understand and mitigate these errors are essential for advancing practical quantum computing and moving toward fault-tolerant systems.