D-Wave’s 5,000+ Qubit Quantum Computer “Advantage”
1 Oct 2020 – Vancouver-area company D-Wave Systems – the world’s first commercial quantum computing firm – launched its Advantage quantum annealer, boasting over 5,000 qubits and a radically expanded 15-way qubit connectivity. This machine marked a leap from its previous 2,000-qubit system and demonstrated that D-Wave’s unique quantum annealing architecture can scale in qubit count and complexity. CEO Alan Baratz highlighted that despite packing twice the qubits and more than five times the devices on the chip, the new processor maintained similar speed and operating temperatures as before – defying skeptics who long claimed D-Wave’s tech “wouldn’t scale”. The Advantage system also came with updates to D-Wave’s hybrid solvers, enabling businesses and researchers to tackle larger optimization problems by blending quantum and classical computing power.
Why it matters: D-Wave’s Advantage debut was a major technical milestone for quantum computing and for Canada’s high-tech leadership. It solidified D-Wave’s position as the global leader in quantum annealing, a different approach than the gate-model quantum computers pursued by others. The 5,000-qubit system allowed real-world applications (like scheduling, routing, and protein folding simulations) to be addressed at new scales. For Canada, having a home-grown company deliver such a powerful quantum machine reinforced the country’s reputation in pioneering quantum hardware. It also provided a commercial platform on which Canadian industry and government partners could experiment with quantum solutions, potentially giving them a head-start in the coming era of quantum-enabled problem solving.
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