Reconfigurable quantum computer juggles 98 qubits

NEWS AND VIEWS

17 June 2026

A quantum computer based on trapped ions can connect any two quantum bits, reaching performance levels that conventional computers cannot match.

By

Crystal Noel

Crystal Noel is at the Duke Quantum Center, Duke University, Durham 27701, North Carolina, USA.

Quantum computers are often benchmarked by the number of quantum bits (qubits) they have, but a large collection of unreliable qubits is no more useful than a football team of unskilled players. Writing in Nature, Ransford et al.1 report a 98-qubit quantum computer called Helios that demonstrates the potential to maintain accuracy while scaling to larger system sizes — something that has been difficult to achieve with quantum hardware platforms.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-01702-6

References

Ransford, A. et al. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10676-4 (2026).

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Competing Interests

The author declares no competing interests.

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