It appears that Atom Computing is biding their time until they unveil their next-generation machine, created in collaboration with Microsoft. “Our initial offering, developed with Atom Computing and Microsoft, will be equipped with cutting-edge quantum capabilities, featuring 1,200 physical qubits,” Svore revealed. “And the subsequent iteration? Get ready for a powerhouse machine boasting over 10,000 qubits. At that point, we’ll delve into a realm of a hundred logical qubits, enabling even deeper and more robust computations.”
Now, turning our attention to the latest research paper, it delves into the ease of certain logical operations, contrasting with others that demand meticulous adjustments to the error correction system to operate effectively. Named in a lighthearted manner, techniques like lattice surgery and magic state distillation inject a touch of humor into the complex realm of quantum computing.
Exploring scaled-down versions of the codes within the same category may be an option; however, the Azure team has already demonstrated their expertise with error correction codes based on hypercubes. The potential benefits of pursuing this avenue remain uncertain.
Microsoft’s experts believe they have cracked the code with a compact error correction system designed to operate seamlessly on hardware utilizing qubits stored in photons, atoms, or trapped ions, facilitating universal computation. However, they have not yet validated its functionality. The missing piece of the puzzle? The hardware itself is currently unavailable. While Azure may offer trapped ion machines from IonQ and Qantinuum, these machines are limited to 56 qubits, falling short of the 96 required for their preferred 4D codes. The largest accessible machine is a 100-qubit one from PASQAL, barely meeting the 96-qubit threshold, leaving no room for error.
