IonQ Next Generation: Barium In, Ytterbium Out

Peter Chapman, CEO of IonQ, gave a sneak peek at the Q2B conference of a few characteristics of the next generation quantum computer they are developing for 2022. The significant change is that they are changing the fundamental material used to create the ions from Ytterbium to Barium. The specific isotope that IonQ is using is Ba-133 which does not occur naturally, but needs to be manufactured. A web post from the Hudson Lab at UCLA calls it a Goldilocks qubit because it can provide better gate and readout error rates along with the ability to use visible light lasers with increased power levels instead of the current ultraviolet lasers. These visible light lasers allow the company to use more standard photonics components used by the telecom industry, improve gate delays due to the higher-powered lasers, and provide more stable and reliable machines that will make it easier to network multiple machines together. IonQ will also change how they control the qubits by replace the current system of laser beam splitters and optical shutters with a steerable laser beam that has the ability to control hundreds of qubits. This should also provide better gate fidelity for the qubits because the steering will be software controlled and can be precisely adjusted during a calibration process. The machine is currently operational in the IonQ lab and is undergoing engineering tests. Other characteristics of the machine such as the number of qubits or qubit fidelities have not been disclosed, but we were told the machine would be released for use by their subscription customers sometime in 2022. For more about IonQ's announcement concerning the change to Barium ions, you can view a news release posted on their website here.

December 8, 2021