IBM to Install Advanced Quantum System Two in Spain, Microsoft Unveils First Topological Quantum Processor

Two major advancements in quantum computing have been announced: * IBM will install its most advanced modular quantum computer, the IBM Quantum System Two, in Guipúzcoa, Spain, by the end of 2025. This is part of a collaboration with the Basque Government. * The system will feature the high-performance Heron processor, designed for scalability and capable of executing large-scale algorithms with up to 5,000 two-qubit gate operations using Qiskit software. * This installation will surpass IBM's quantum data center in Germany, positioning the Basque region as a global quantum computing hub. * Microsoft has developed the world's first topological Quantum Processing Unit (QPU), named Majorana 1. * This innovation uses a new material state to create more stable and noise-resistant qubits. * The QPU combines indium-arsenide and aluminum superconductors, cooled to near absolute zero in a magnetic field. * Microsoft also employs a new microwave reflectometry method for accurate quantum information readout. * The company plans to mass produce the Majorana 1 prototype and develop a fault-tolerant prototype (FTP) scalable to millions of qubits, supported by DARPA's US2QC program.