University of Tokyo to upgrade IBM Quantum System One with 156-qubit Heron processor and link to Miyabi supercomputer

The University of Tokyo (UTokyo) and IBM announced plans to install a 156-qubit IBM Heron quantum processing unit (QPU) in the IBM Quantum System One, managed by UTokyo for the Quantum Innovation Initiative (QII) Consortium. The Heron QPU, featuring a tunable-coupler architecture, will replace the 127-qubit IBM Eagle QPU installed in 2023, following the initial deployment of a 27-qubit IBM Falcon QPU. The upgrade is scheduled for later this year.

The Heron QPU offers a 3-4x improvement in two-qubit error rates, an order of magnitude better device-wide performance in 100-qubit long layer error benchmarks, a 60 percent increase in CLOPS speed, and system uptime exceeding 95%. It supports over 5,000 gate operations for utility-level workloads, as demonstrated in multiple published studies.
UTokyo will also connect the IBM Quantum System One to the Miyabi supercomputer, operated by the Joint Center for Advanced High Performance Computing (JCAHPC) with the University of Tsukuba. Miyabi, equipped with advanced CPUs and GPUs, consists of two subsystems, Miyabi-C and Miyabi-G. This integration, planned for later this year, will create a quantum-centric supercomputer, enabling QII Consortium users to explore computational challenges in fie...