IBM has successfully connected and cooled two cryogenic modules into a single environment, marking a key hardware milestone toward building larger, fault-tolerant quantum computers.
The modular architecture is designed to eventually connect hundreds of quantum chips within a shared ultra-cold environment. Initial testing showed the two modules could jointly reach 4 Kelvin in under five days, before cooling to below 15 millikelvin, the temperatures required for superconducting quantum processors.
Each module’s vacuum enclosure provides up to 12 times more wiring space than IBM’s widely used quantum systems. The additional capacity is designed to support more connections between quantum chips using IBM’s L-coupler technology, which enables separate processors to exchange information and operate as part of a larger quantum system.
IBM plans to use the architecture to connect multiple processors into a quantum computer with at least 1,000 programmable qubits by 2027. The company also plans to install IBM Quantum Nighthawk processors into the modules later this year for expanded performance testing.
The development is part of IBM’s roadmap toward IBM Quantum Starling, targeted for 2029. The planned fault-tolerant system is expected to combine advances in quantum processors, error correction, decoding, and systems engineering.
IBM said the modular approach also allows critical components of its quantum computing environment to be tested, upgraded, and iterated independently, potentially accelerating development toward large-scale quantum computing.
