Qilimanjaro, IonQ many 9's and Google's quantum advantage (again), Alice&Bob and US Policy makers - The Week in Quantum Computing, October 27th, 2025
Issue #256
Quick Recap
Qilimanjaro launched QiliSDK, an open-source Python toolkit enabling unified digital, analog, and hybrid quantum workflow development (what a name!). Rydberg Photonics spun out from the Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, focusing on commercializing compact, robust hybrid-integrated photonics for quantum applications, backed by German research and space agency partnerships with expected deployments next year. Reports about the Trump administration seeking equity in quantum companies were denied by the Commerce Department, which clarified that U.S. support is still mainly through research funding—measured global quantum revenue remains under $750 million according to McKinsey.
Technological breakthroughs also marked the week. IonQ claimed a record-setting two-qubit gate fidelity of 99.99%, boosting speed and reliability for its Aria, Forte, and Tempo systems, and supporting the roadmap toward practical, large-scale quantum hardware. IBM demonstrated a tenfold speed improvement in running quantum error correction using standard AMD FGAs, advancing real-time error correction for commercialization but not yet quantum hardware itself. On the research front, Google Quantum AI introduced Quantum Echoes to benchmark quantum chaos on 103 qubits, suggesting measurable quantum advantage for specific problems. Meanwhile, France’s defense agency funded new manufacturing tools from Alice & Bob and PLASSYS-BESTEK for scalable cat-qubit chips, advancing Europe’s ambition for quantum sovereignty.
Lastly, a great perspective article by Jens Eisert and John Preskill emphasized persistent gaps between current achievements and robust, fault-tolerant quantum computing. In summary, while technical and ecosystem advances continue apace—with notable traction in tools, hardware integration, and government policy—there remain critical obstacles before quantum computing achieves widespread, practical deployment.
I took the liberty of (automatically) creating a mindmap that represents a fantastic summary of what needs to happen to make quantum a commercial reality
If you don’t have the time, this notebookLM video can help!
The Week in Quantum Computing
Qilimanjaro presents QiliSDK
Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech, based in Barcelona, has launched QiliSDK, an open-source Python toolkit that unifies digital, analog, and hybrid quantum workflow development. Announced at the Munich Quantum Software Forum by engineers Ameer Azzam and Vyron Vasileiadis, QiliSDK serves as the gateway to the first multimodal quantum data center integrating superconducting digital QPUs, analog QPUs, and classical HPC accelerators. The modular software offers backend-agnostic programming, high-level abstractions, and seamless switching across CPUs, GPUs, and Qilimanjaro SpeQtrum QPUs, targeting streamlined quantum algorithm prototyping and deployment. Director of Software David Arcos stated, “this toolkit empowers users to move effortlessly from simulation to real hardware.” By bridging simulation and hardware with high-level Python integration, Qilimanjaro is pushing practical quantum computing workflows forward this year.
FBH spin-off Rydberg Photonics to target quantum technologies - Compound Semiconductor News
Rydberg Photonics GmbH, a new spin-off from the Ferdinand-Braun-Institut (FBH) in Berlin, aims to deliver compact, scalable, and robust photonic solutions tailored for next-generation quantum technologies, including quantum computing and sensing. Co-founder Andreas Wicht emphasizes the company’s mission to support “industry-compatible, compact, scalable, and ultra-stable hybrid-integrated photonic systems.” Leveraging more than a decade of hybrid micro-integration technology developed at FBH, with support from the German Space Agency at DLR, Rydberg Photonics will initially focus on developing narrow-linewidth, high-power, and tuneable hybrid-integrated lasers as well as plug-and-play optical frequency references—components essential for practical quantum applications. Early industry and academic collaborations signal momentum toward real-world deployment of quantum solutions in 2025.
IonQ claims to be the first company achieving 99.99% two-qubit gate fidelity
On October 21, 2025, IonQ announced a technical milestone, claiming to be the first quantum computing company to demonstrate two-qubit gate fidelities of 99.99%. Detailed in a new technical paper, this breakthrough sets a world record and was achieved without ground-state cooling, reducing system complexity and computation time for large-scale trapped-ion machines. IonQ’s Aria, Forte, and Tempo systems now leverage this improvement, promising faster and more reliable quantum computations. The announcement highlights the critical role of error rates—now just 1 in 10,000—and addresses the traditional speed bottleneck from ion cooling. This achievement supports IonQ’s roadmap to millions of qubits by 2030, signaling an acceleration toward scalable, practical quantum computing as of 2025.
Quantum Echoes - A verifiable quantum advantage
In an October 2025 Nature cover article, Google Quantum AI researchers Xiao Mi and Kostyantyn Kechedzhi present a new quantum algorithm, Quantum Echoes, which measures Out-of-Time-Order Correlators (OTOCs). Their experiments on the Willow quantum chip involved 103 qubits and demonstrated that OTOCs—verifiable, expectation-value observables—enable a direct, reliable method for benchmarking quantum chaos beyond classical capabilities. Unlike random circuit sampling, these measurements are consistent and applicable to real-world problems, including Hamiltonian learning in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). The work claims the algorithm already reaches a “beyond-classical regime” for specific circuits. This study showcases a significant and verifiable milestone for quantum advantage, suggesting practical quantum applications are moving closer to reality.
French Government Backs New Technology for Industrial Quantum Chip Production
The French defense innovation agency AID has funded the ULTRACAT project since 2022, with completion set for 2027, aiming to advance industrial-level quantum chip manufacturing. Partners Alice & Bob and PLASSYS-BESTEK have delivered the SQUID-6 UHV, an automated, ultra-high vacuum deposition tool supporting reliable and scalable cat-qubit quantum chip fabrication. Alice & Bob is also building a $50 million lab in Paris, expected to open in March 2026, to accelerate design iterations of cat-qubit processors. The SQUID-6 UHV minimizes cross-contamination and supports up to 8-inch wafers through modular processing chambers. According to AID, the project is vital for fault-tolerant quantum computers and Europe’s technological sovereignty, reflecting France’s push to lead in quantum manufacturing.
IBM says key quantum computing error correction algorithm can run on conventional AMD chips
IBM announced it can run a key quantum error correction algorithm on off-the-shelf AMD field programmable gate array chips—a move that could aid the commercialization of quantum computing. This real-time implementation, detailed in a research paper to be published Monday, is “10 times faster than what is needed,” according to IBM’s director of research, Jay Gambetta. The algorithm, developed last June, addresses qubit errors that hinder quantum chips. Completing this milestone a year ahead of schedule, IBM plans to use such advances in its multi-year Starling quantum computer project, set for 2029. This achievement highlights progress in bridging quantum and classical hardware, but the news is specific to error correction algorithms rather than breakthroughs in quantum computing hardware itself.
Trump Administration in Talks to Take Equity Stakes in Quantum-Computing Firms
In 2025, the Trump Administration is reportedly in discussions to acquire equity stakes in quantum-computing companies. This move reflects a growing recognition of the strategic importance of quantum technology. Such government participation could significantly influence the direction of the U.S. quantum ecosystem, potentially accelerating domestic innovation and securing intellectual property. With global competitors investing heavily in quantum research, these talks underscore how governments are considering direct investment as a national security and technological leadership issue.
Trump administration denies equity stakes in quantum computing firms
The Trump administration has denied reports, originally cited by the Wall Street Journal, that it is seeking equity stakes in quantum computing firms such as IonQ, Rigetti Computing, and D-Wave Quantum. A Commerce Department spokesperson told FOX Business, “The Commerce Department is not currently negotiating equity stakes with quantum computing companies.” While Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has previously argued the government should benefit when taxpayer money funds innovation, most U.S. federal investment in quantum computing remains focused on research grants and public-private partnerships, not direct ownership. In 2024, global quantum computing revenue was under $750 million according to McKinsey. The U.S. remains cautious about direct equity in the sector, even as competition with China intensifies and support for domestic quantum tech research increases.
Paper: Mind the gaps: The fraught road to quantum advantage
Jens Eisert and John Preskill, in their perspectives article “Mind the gaps: The fraught road to quantum advantage” (arXiv:2510.19928, October 2025), outline four major hurdles facing quantum computing: moving from error mitigation to active error detection and correction; from rudimentary error correction to scalable fault tolerance; from early heuristics to mature, verifiable algorithms; and from exploratory simulators to credible advantage in quantum simulation. The authors argue that progress along these transitions is essential for quantum computing to achieve broad utility. This assessment highlights that, despite rapid advances, significant technological and scientific barriers remain before current noisy intermediate-scale quantum devices can evolve into truly practical fault-tolerant systems within the quantum computing landscape of 2025.
Great roundup as always! The IonQ 99.99% fidelity acheivement really stands out, especially since they did it without ground state cooling. That's huge for practical scalability. The fact that they're claiming just 1 in 10,000 error rates is pretty wild. I'm also intrigued by the Google Quantum Echoes approach for benchmarking quantum chaos, seems more verifiable than random circuit sampling. The Eisert and Preskill perspective piece you mentioned sounds spot on about the gaps we need to bridge. It's good to see realistic assesments alongside all the hype. One thing that caught my eye is the French government funding for Alice & Bob's cat qubit manufacturing, Europe is clearly serious about quantum soverignty. Thanks for putting all this together in one place!