What changed
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Quantum Science Center (QSC) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), IBM, and AMD deployed a co-design platform for quantum error correction (QEC) at IBM's site in Poughkeepsie, New York. The platform pairs IBM Quantum Nighthawk r2 processors with ORNL’s Umbra High-Performance Computing (HPC) system, which includes AMD Instinct MI355X GPUs and 5th Gen AMD EPYC™ CPUs. This co-located environment is designed to support hybrid HPC-quantum computing workflows.
What this means in practice
Researchers can use the platform to develop and validate quantum algorithms, workflows, and applications for hybrid computing environments without building the infrastructure themselves. The platform enables low-latency quantum-classical execution by placing ORNL’s hardware next to IBM’s quantum processors. This setup allows for real-time pulse control, mid-calculation qubit measurement, and direct interaction with raw measurement signals. The integration of AMD GPUs supports large-scale decoder training and evaluation, which is critical for quantum error correction.
Limitations and availability
The platform is currently available at IBM's Poughkeepsie site and is open to researchers working on quantum error correction. It is part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission, which aims to deploy a scientifically-relevant quantum computer by 2028. The platform supports experiments with up to 70 logical qubits through 438 operations, with goals to reach 100 logical qubits and 100,000 operations by late 2028. The co-design platform is intended to inform the development of IBM Quantum Starling, a fault-tolerant quantum computer planned for 2029.
