TLDR
- Rigetti Computing (RGTI) stock rose 5% after announcing its largest multi-chip quantum computer demonstration with 99.5% median two-qubit gate fidelity
- The company achieved a 50% reduction in error rates compared to its previous 84-qubit single chip system
- The new 36-qubit system uses four 9-qubit chiplets tiled together using Rigetti’s modular chip technology
- Rigetti plans to launch the 36-qubit system on August 15 and targets a 100+ qubit system by end of 2025
- Despite progress, quantum computing remains years away from commercial viability with current error rates still far above classical computers
Rigetti Computing stock climbed 5% after the company announced it has successfully demonstrated the industry’s largest multi-chip quantum computer. The quantum computing pioneer revealed it reached its mid-year performance milestone of 99.5% median two-qubit gate fidelity on its modular 36-qubit system.
This achievement represents a halving of the median two-qubit gate error rate compared to the company’s previous best results. The comparison comes from Rigetti’s 84-qubit single chip Ankaa-3 system.
The new 36-qubit system stands out for its unique construction approach. It consists of four 9-qubit chips or “chiplets” tiled together. This design utilizes Rigetti’s proprietary modular chip technology.
Dr. Subodh Kulkarni, Rigetti’s CEO, highlighted the advantages of their superconducting qubits approach. “We benefit from the many advantages of superconducting qubits, including gate speeds more than 1,000x faster than other modalities like ion trap and pure atoms, and scalability,” he said.
The company implemented CZ gates for this system. These are commonly used two-qubit gates for executing quantum circuits. CZ gates have equivalent computational power to iSWAP gates.
Technology Milestone Progress
Rigetti’s achievement marks a key step in the company’s strategy to build larger quantum computing systems. The modular chiplet approach allows for scaling up quantum processors. This method could prove crucial for future quantum computer development.
The 99.5% accuracy rate, while impressive in quantum computing terms, still falls short of classical computer standards. Classical computers operate with error rates many orders of magnitude lower. This gap highlights the challenges quantum computing still faces.
Gate error remains a major barrier to quantum computing achieving viability outside laboratory settings. Each quantum operation introduces potential errors. These errors accumulate as quantum circuits become more complex.
The company’s progress comes as the broader quantum computing sector continues to develop. Multiple companies are racing to achieve quantum advantage in practical applications. Each breakthrough brings the technology closer to commercial viability.
Timeline and Future Plans
Rigetti plans to launch the 36-qubit system on August 15. The company remains on track to release a 100+ qubit chiplet-based system before the end of 2025. This larger system will target the same 99.5% median two-qubit gate fidelity.
The company expects to share more updates when it releases its operating results for the second quarter of 2025. These results will provide additional insight into the company’s progress.
Despite the technical progress, quantum computing remains years away from widespread commercial application. The technology requires further development to achieve the reliability needed for practical use. Current error rates, while improved, still present challenges for complex quantum algorithms.
Rigetti’s modular approach could provide advantages in scaling quantum systems. The chiplet design allows for building larger quantum processors without manufacturing single massive chips. This approach may prove more cost-effective and reliable than alternatives.
The company’s stock reaction reflects investor interest in quantum computing developments. However, the technology’s timeline to commercial viability remains uncertain. The quantum computing sector continues to face technical and commercial challenges despite recent progress.
Rigetti expects to share more updates when it releases its operating results for the second quarter of 2025.
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