Quantum Leap: Google claims verifiable quantum advantage after demonstration

Welcome to the latest edition of “Quantum Leap” where The Fly decodes news and activity in the quantum computing space.

QUANTUM ADVANTAGE: Yu Chen, director, quantum processor, Google (GOOGL) Quantum AI, and Michel Devoret, chief scientist, quantum hardware, Google Quantum AI, said in a blog post: “Today, powered by our high-performance quantum chip, Willow, we have achieved the first-ever demonstration of verifiable quantum advantage. This milestone is a critical step toward realizing useful quantum computation, a feat made possible by the precision and speed engineered into our quantum hardware systems… The current-generation Willow chip, benefiting from continuous post-release improvements, delivers best-in-class performance at scale. Across its entire 105-qubit array, it features fidelities of 99.97% for single-qubit gates, 99.88% for entangling gates, and 99.5% for readout, all operating at an unmatched speed of tens to hundreds of nanoseconds. These high-precision quantum gates enabled us to perform the highly complex Quantum Echoes algorithms, involving large-scale quantum interferences and entanglement. It concretely placed our results in a regime beyond the capabilities of classical computers. Furthermore, this precision is matched by the fact that our system can perform millions of Quantum Echoes measurements in just tens of seconds. This speed was instrumental in enabling a staggering one trillion measurements over the course of this project—a significant portion of all measurements ever performed on all quantum computers combined. This solidifies our work as one of the most complex experiments in the history of quantum computing… As we march toward our next milestone – a long-lived logical qubit – we are fully aware of the numerous challenges ahead. Reaching our ultimate goal will require orders-of-magnitude improvement in system performance and scale, with millions of components to be developed and matured. Despite these hurdles, we remain committed to navigating this path forward.”

MIT MEDIA LAB MEMBERSHIP: Sealsq (LAES) announced that it has become a member of the MIT Media Lab. Through this membership, Sealsq will collaborate with Media Lab faculty, researchers, and students to explore new ideas. The company said, “Through this collaboration, SEALSQ aims to explore the future of digital trust, the evolving role of security in human-AI interaction, and new ways next-generation systems might balance resilience, transparency, and sustainability. Participation in the Media Lab’s global community offers a unique opportunity to exchange perspectives, spark ideas, and imagine approaches that align secure technologies with human values.”

WORLD RECORD: IonQ (IONQ) released the technical papers that demonstrate 99.99% two-qubit gate performance, setting a new quantum computing world record. The performance of quantum computers is limited by the error rate of its two-qubit gates, called “two-qubit gate fidelity.” This single number largely defines quantum computing performance – measuring the accuracy of quantum operations. The company said, “As fidelity improves, fewer errors must be addressed and more complex algorithms can be run. In a landmark technical result, IonQ has achieved the world’s highest two-qubit gate performance, with fidelity exceeding 99.99% – the first and only quantum computing company to cross the ‘four-nines’ benchmark. The demonstration released today, achieved using IonQ’s proprietary Electronic Qubit Control technology (EQC), surpasses the previous world record of 99.97% set in 2024 by Oxford Ionics, now part of IonQ. This new world record represents a critical technical milestone that advances IonQ’s leading quantum technology roadmap. By engineering qubits with record-level fidelity, IonQ has now achieved the hardware performance required for it to scale to millions of qubits by 2030. This is a historic achievement that positions IonQ well ahead of its competitors.” IonQ’s qubit performance result was achieved using prototypes in its R&D labs, which will form the basis for its 256-qubit systems that will be demonstrated in 2026. These devices rely on the company’s novel EQC technology, which uniquely uses precision electronics instead of lasers to control its qubits. By integrating all qubit-control components onto classical semiconductor chips, IonQ can manufacture its quantum computers via existing semiconductor fabrication – yielding systems that are easier to scale, more stable to operate, and significantly more cost-effective to build. “Reaching four-nines fidelity is a watershed moment for IonQ’s quantum leadership,” said Niccolo de Masi, chairman and CEO of IonQ. “This level of quantum performance has been the industry’s north star for decades and crossing it brings fault-tolerant quantum systems years closer to mass market adoption. For our global customers, it means unlocking more value from quantum computing sooner, while dramatically lowering the cost and complexity of large-scale systems.”

QS 7001: Sealsq officially unveiled the Quantum Shield QS7001, the first secure chip to embed NIST-standardized PQC algorithms directly at the hardware level. The chip will be officially launched in mid-November 2025, following its debut at the IQT Quantum+AI 2025 Conference in New York City, where Sealsq’s CEO, Carlos Moreira, will deliver the keynote “AI Meets Quantum: Building Unbreakable Post-Quantum Security.”

IC’ALPS INTEGRATION: Sealsq also announced its integrated strategy for IC’Alps, the French ASIC design house recently acquired by Sealsq. The company said, “This strategic integration positions SEALSQ as the only company capable of delivering secure hardware in all forms – Catalog ICs, Custom ICs, and Security IP – to meet the growing demand for quantum-resistant and sovereign semiconductor solutions. The combined SEALSQ-IC’Alps teams are now in a unique position to execute a three-phase roadmap which includes: In the short-term: commercialization of the first PQC standard chip on the market. In the mid-term: development of custom IC solutions, the QASIC – Quantum ASIC and related security IP offering. In the longer-term: providing secure system solutions for next-generation architectures, including Chiplet-based Hardware Security Modules tightly coupled with pre-certified secure enclaves and IP to be integrated into larger chips. The QASIC initiative will form the cornerstone of SEALSQ’s roadmap for Post-Quantum Hardware Security Modules and secure microcontrollers used in critical infrastructures, defense systems, IoT devices, and AI applications.”

ANALYST COMMENTARY: Roth Capital raised the firm’s price target on D-Wave Quantum (QBTS) to $50 from $20 and reiterated a Buy rating on the shares. The firm is encouraged by D-Wave signing of an additional European customer which includes a pathway to an eventual hardware sale, which is helpful in securing of additional customers that are leveraging the company’s quantum annealing technology and supporting the firm’s constructive thesis, the analyst told investors in a research note.