Rigetti Computing, IonQ chosen to enter initial stage of DARPA’s QBI

Nearly 20 quantum computing companies have been chosen to enter the initial stage of DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, in which they will characterize their unique concepts for creating a useful, fault-tolerant quantum computer within a decade, DARPA said. Companies mentioned by DARPA as “pursuing a variety of technologies for creating quantum bits, including superconducting qubits, trapped ion qubits, neutral atom qubits, photonic qubits, semiconductor spin qubits, and other novel approaches,” include: Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), IBM (IBM), IonQ (IONQ), and Rigetti Computing (RGTI). Companies that successfully complete Stage A will move to a yearlong Stage B, during which DARPA said it will rigorously examine their research and development approach, followed by a final Stage C where the QBI independent verification and validation team will test the companies’ computer hardware.