The Quantum Science Center at ORNL has unveiled a co-design platform that pairs IBM quantum processors with an AMD-powered classical HPC system, giving researchers an environment for developing and testing quantum error correction. Funded by the US Department of Energy, the centre describes the system as marrying quantum technology with high-performance computing.
Fault-tolerant quantum systems always seem to be at least a decade away, but ORNL says there have been notable advances over the past several years in quantum error correction, including early demonstrations of protecting quantum information from environmental noise, which can cause loss of the fragile quantum states needed for computation.
"Solving the challenges of quantum error correction is essential to making quantum computing a practical tool for scientific discovery, which is a priority for Oak Ridge National Laboratory," said QSC director Travis Humble. IBM Fellow and director of IBM Research Jay Gambetta said it was no longer a question of whether error correction works, but how to accelerate and optimize error correction to build systems that scientists can use to tackle challenging problems. "This new co-design platform for quantum error correction allows us to evaluate different approaches and determine the architectures, software and workflows that will scale," he stated.
The system combines an IBM Quantum System Two equipped with the latest 120-qubit Nighthawk r2 quantum processors with Umbra, a classical HPC system powered by AMD 5th Gen Epyc CPUs and Instinct MI355X GPU accelerators. According to AMD, the CPUs provide orchestration and general-purpose performance to coordinate everything, while the GPUs accelerate simulation, optimisation and the parallel scientific computations surrounding quantum workloads. AMD Versal SoCs provide low-latency control, readout and decoding for the quantum circuitry.
ORNL says the platform brings together the computing infrastructure needed for quantum error correction in a single environment and opens it to more researchers, who will use it to develop and validate quantum algorithms, workflows and applications in a setting built for quantum-centric supercomputing, in which quantum processors, CPUs and GPUs work together as one system.
IBM said one promising approach the platform could explore is hierarchical error correction, which uses an inner code to protect qubits within a module while an outer code wraps around the inner code's logical qubits to add a second layer of protection. IBM research suggested this approach could reach a trillion logical operations at a physical error rate of one in a thousand. The platform is also likely to play a key part in the DoE's Quantum Genesis Mission objectives, including the recently announced Q Competition, an initiative to deliver a system with 100 logical qubits capable of performing hundreds of millions of fault-tolerant operations. It follows an executive order from President Trump to develop a full-blown quantum system by 2028.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Quantum error correction is widely seen as the key obstacle to making quantum computers practical, and this platform gives researchers a place to test and compare approaches.
- Combining quantum processors with classical supercomputing in a single environment advances the emerging model of quantum-centric supercomputing, where QPUs, CPUs and GPUs work together.
- The platform feeds directly into the US Department of Energy's Quantum Genesis Mission and the goal of a working quantum system by 2028.
Background
Quantum computers rely on fragile quantum states that can be lost to environmental noise, and error correction protects that information. Fully fault-tolerant quantum systems have long been described as around a decade away. ORNL's Quantum Science Center, funded by the US Department of Energy, hosts this new co-design platform to pursue that goal.
Key Perspectives
- Travis Humble, QSC director: says solving the challenges of quantum error correction is essential to making quantum computing a practical tool for scientific discovery.
- Jay Gambetta, IBM Fellow and director of IBM Research: says it is no longer a question of whether error correction works, but how to accelerate and optimise it, and that the platform lets researchers evaluate approaches and determine the architectures, software and workflows that will scale.
- AMD: says its CPUs provide the orchestration and general-purpose performance, while its GPUs accelerate simulation, optimisation and parallel scientific computations around quantum workloads.
- IBM: says hierarchical error correction is a promising approach, and that it could reach a trillion logical operations at a physical error rate of one in a thousand.
What to Watch
- The Q Competition, a DoE initiative to deliver a system with 100 logical qubits capable of hundreds of millions of fault-tolerant operations.
- Whether hierarchical error correction and other approaches prove viable on the new platform.
- Progress toward the presidential executive order goal of developing a full-blown quantum system by 2028.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
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- SupportedOak Ridge unveiled a hybrid quantum-HPC platform to test quantum error correction.www.theregister.com - Articles: “Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) now boasts a system for research into quantum error correction, combining IBM quantum processors with a high-performance compute (HPC) system based on AMD silicon.”
- SupportedThe system pairs IBM Quantum System Two with AMD-powered Umbra at a US lab.www.theregister.com - Articles: “ORNL's new tool combines an IBM Quantum System Two, equipped with the latest 120-qubit Nighthawk r2 quantum processors, and Umbra, a classical HPC system powered by AMD 5th Gen Epyc CPUs and Instinct MI355X GPU accelerators.”
- SupportedThe DOE-funded Quantum Science Center at ORNL unveiled a co-design platform marrying quantum technology with HPC.www.theregister.com - Articles: “The Quantum Science Center (QSC) at ORNL, funded by the US Department of Energy (DoE), unveiled what it calls a co-design platform for quantum error correction, marrying up quantum and HPC technology.”
- SupportedQSC director Travis Humble said, “Solving the challenges of quantum error correction is essential to making quantum computing a practical tool for scientific discovery, which is a priority for Oak Ridge National Laboratory.”www.theregister.com - Articles: “"Solving the challenges of quantum error correction is essential to making quantum computing a practical tool for scientific discovery, which is a priority for Oak Ridge National Laboratory," said QSC director Travis Humble.”
- SupportedJay Gambetta said, “This new co-design platform for quantum error correction allows us to evaluate different approaches and determine the architectures, software and workflows that will scale.”www.theregister.com - Articles: “"This new co-design platform for quantum error correction allows us to evaluate different approaches and determine the architectures, software and workflows that will scale," he stated.”
- SupportedThe system combines an IBM Quantum System Two with 120-qubit Nighthawk r2 processors and Umbra, powered by AMD 5th Gen Epyc CPUs and Instinct MI355X GPUs.www.theregister.com - Articles: “ORNL's new tool combines an IBM Quantum System Two, equipped with the latest 120-qubit Nighthawk r2 quantum processors, and Umbra, a classical HPC system powered by AMD 5th Gen Epyc CPUs and Instinct MI355X GPU accelerators.”
- SupportedAMD says the CPUs coordinate the system and the GPUs accelerate simulation, optimisation and parallel scientific computations around quantum workloads.www.theregister.com - Articles: “According to AMD, the CPUs provide the orchestration and general-purpose performance needed to coordinate everything, while the GPUs accelerate simulation, optimization and the parallel scientific computations surrounding quantum workloads.”
- SupportedORNL says the platform brings the needed infrastructure together and opens it to more researchers for developing and validating quantum algorithms, workflows and applications.www.theregister.com - Articles: “ORNL says that this brings together the computing infrastructure needed for quantum error correction in a single environment, and opens it up to more researchers than ever before. They will use it to develop and validate quantum algorithms, workflows, and applications”
- SupportedIBM describes hierarchical error correction as using an inner code to protect qubits in a module and an outer code to add protection around the inner code’s logical qubits.www.theregister.com - Articles: “It describes this as using an inner code to protect qubits within a module, while an outer code wraps around the inner code’s logical qubits and adds a second layer of protection.”
- SupportedIBM research suggested hierarchical error correction could reach a trillion logical operations at a physical error rate of one in a thousand.www.theregister.com - Articles: “This approach could reach a trillion logical operations at a physical error rate of one in a thousand, IBM research suggested.”
- SupportedThe Q Competition aims to deliver a system with 100 logical qubits capable of hundreds of millions of fault-tolerant operations.www.theregister.com - Articles: “These include the recently announced Q Competition, an initiative to deliver a system with 100 logical qubits capable of performing hundreds of millions of fault-tolerant operations.”
- SupportedThe story says the platform follows a Trump executive order to develop a full-blown quantum system by 2028.www.theregister.com - Articles: “It follows an executive order from President Trump to develop a full-blown quantum system by 2028.”
