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IBM Nighthawk r2 quantum processor development

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2026-09-29 06:52 UTC → 2026-09-30 17:36 UTC · added ~~removed~~

IBM introduced the Nighthawk r2 quantum processor, a 120-qubit superconducting system designed to execute over 100,000 circuits per second. This architecture utilizes high-dynamic-range tunable couplers and a dissipative reset gadget to allow for faster transitions between circuit executions compared to previous fleets. Following this launch, researchers at ~~BlueQubit~~ BlueQubit, led by physicist Tigran Sedrakyan, used the Nighthawk r2 via a standard cloud-based workflow to demonstrate quantum advantage. The team completed a complex mathematical task using Random Circuit Sampling (RCS) in 19 seconds, a calculation estimated to take the most advanced classical ~~supercomputers~~ supercomputers, such as the Frontier supercomputer, approximately 110 years to solve. The demonstration involved generating 1 million samples using 61 of the processor's 120 available qubits. Notably, this milestone was achieved through IBM’s standard commercial cloud platform without the need for specialized laboratory hardware or custom calibrations. These findings have been published on the arXiv preprint server.

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