Quantinuum unveiled its second-generation trapped-ion quantum computer system based on its new H2 quantum processor and touted a major step toward universal fault-tolerant quantum computing.

The quantum computing company is formed by the combination of Honeywell Quantum Solutions’ hardware based on trapped-ion technology and Cambridge Quantum’s middleware and applications. And a trapped-ion quantum computer manipulates suspended ions in free space using electromagnetic fields to perform quantum operations while individual ions serve as qubits.

Quantinuum’s H2 quantum processor initially features 32 fully connected, high-fidelity qubits and a parallel gate zones architecture, which is a new ion trap whose oval shape resembles a “racetrack,” according to the company.

This trap design “enables all-to-all connectivity between qubits, meaning that every qubit in the H2 can directly be pairwise entangled with any other qubit in the system,” Quantinuum noted, adding that it can help reduce the overall errors in quantum algorithms and might open up additional opportunities for more efficient error-correcting codes in the long-term.

The company also touted the 99.8% fidelity of two-qubit (2Q) gates in its trapped-ion H2 system. The 2Q fidelity refers to the accuracy and reliability of executing 2Q quantum gates or operations, and higher rates indicate better performance and lower error rates.

Besides error correction, the new model also aims to address another challenge for trapped-ion quantum computers — scaling up to a large number of qubits. Quantinuum claims the H2 system demonstrates the scaling power of ion traps in quantum charge coupled device (QCCD) architectures.

Quantinuum scientists partnered with researchers from Harvard University and Caltech to conduct one of the first experiments on the H2 quantum system, which demonstrated a new state of matter — a non-Abelian topologically ordered state.

“Due to the differentiating features and precision control of the H2 processor, the topological state — that is essentially a qubit with limited gate capacity — was created in a way where its properties could be precisely controlled in real-time, demonstrating the creation, braiding and annihilation (measurement) of non-Abelian anyons,” the company touted.

“This is a transistor moment for the quantum computing industry – and the fact that we have used a quantum computer as the machine tool for building topological qubits that are a significant step towards fault-tolerant quantum computing is further testimony to our long-held belief that quantum systems are best explored and created by other quantum systems,” Quantinuum CPO and founder Ilyas Khan said in a statement.

Additionally, JPMorgan Chase’s Global Technology Applied Research team used Quantinuum’s H2 quantum computer to validate several results of its study on quantum optimization algorithm design for portfolio optimization and published a paper based on the results.

The H2 is now available through cloud-based access from Quantinuum and is slated for availability through Microsoft Azure Quantum in June.

The vendor plans to continue scaling trapped-ion quantum computers with more qubits, higher qubit fidelity and faster computational solution by doing more with every qubit, Steve Sanders, senior engineering director of hardware technology development at Quantinuum, told SDxCentral.

For ion trap design, the H1 system uses a linear trap, H2 features parallel gate zones, and the vendor is working on the design of a grid trap. For future generations, Quantinuum aims to offer integrated optics and then large-scale traps, he added.

Additionally, the vendor, along with other national labs, universities, commercial photonic foundries and other quantum computer companies, is working on putting more functionality on a quantum chip.

Photo: Quantinuum H2 quantum processor. Source: Quantinuum.