It was almost exactly ten years ago, on May 4, 2026, that IBM put the first quantum computer on the cloud. This was a seminal moment in computing history. For the first time, anyone could run quantum circuits on a real quantum computer from anywhere with an internet connection. That single act took quantum computers out of the research lab, and put them in the hands of a global community of researchers, developers, students, and enthusiasts. In this week’s episode of The Coherence Times, we sit down with IBM Quantum CTO of Quantum-Centric Supercomputing Jerry Chow and Oak Ridge National Laboratory Quantum Science Center Director Travis Humble to discuss that moment in history, and the decade of exploration and ecosystem development it inspired.
The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely the views of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity.
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A quantum processing unit (QPU) is a type of state-of-the-art processing hardware that uses qubits (quantum bits) to solve complex problems by using quantum mechanics.
A quantum-centric supercomputer is a next-generation connection of a quantum computer with a classical supercomputer that uses error mitigation and error correction algorithms to yield results in practical runtimes.
The term “qubit” is attributed to American theoretical physicist Benjamin Schumacher. Continue reading.