IBM Connects 2 Cryogenic Modules, Advancing 2029 Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computer

3 articles · Updated · Livescience.com · Aug 19

IBM said it joined and cooled two cryogenic modules in a single environment, a systems milestone for its planned 2029 Quantum Starling machine.
Initial tests showed the linked modules—more than 8 feet tall and 8 feet wide—reached 4 Kelvin in under 5 days and then cooled below 15 millikelvin.
Each vacuum enclosure provides up to 12 times more wiring space than widely used IBM quantum systems, supporting denser chip-to-chip links through its L-coupler design.
Later this year, IBM plans to install Nighthawk processors for expanded performance testing, ahead of a 2027 goal to link multiple processors into a system with at least 1,000 programmable qubits.
IBM says Starling should house thousands of qubits per module and build on last year's error-correction advances aimed at making fault-tolerant quantum computing practical.