IBM, AMD and Oak Ridge National Laboratory announced a research platform installed in Poughkeepsie, New York, on November 5. It connects IBM Nighthawk r2 quantum processors to Umbra, an Oak Ridge high-performance computing system equipped with AMD Instinct MI355X GPUs and fifth-generation AMD EPYC CPUs. [1]
How it works
During error correction, the quantum processor produces measurements that provide clues about faults. A classical program called a decoder interprets those signals and estimates which errors occurred. It needs to keep pace with the quantum processor. Locating both systems at the same site lets researchers study that exchange with lower latency. [1]
What it is for
Researchers can test decoders and hybrid workflows without building the infrastructure themselves. The announcement describes a research testbed. Experimental results remain to be demonstrated, and the partners announced no commercial offering. [1]
What to check in practice
To follow the results, look for comparisons that hold the experiment constant and record both decoding time and the errors successfully corrected. A faster connection addresses one part of the problem. The research platform described here is installed in New York. The announcement offers no commercial access in Spain or other markets.