Q-score: A New Competitor to Quantum Volume for Measuring Quantum Computer Performance

Atos has created their own quantum benchmarking performance metric for gate level quantum computers which they call Q-score. The metric is based on the Max-Cut problem and the score is the number of variables the quantum computer can optimize. Atos will be making available in Q1 2021 a free software kit that can be used by any gate based computer to run the problem and calculate the Q-score or Qs for short. Atos is encouraging all quantum hardware developers to utilize this kit to measure the Q-score level of their own machine and publish the result.

Atos is promoting this metric as having three pillars. It is application driven, open & easy to use, and objective & reliable. Atos estimates that current state-of-the-art quantum computers can currently reach a level in the 10-20 Qs range while the most powerful supercomputer can simulate quantum computers of about 60 Qs. Therefore, to reach Quantum Supremacy a quantum computer would need to exceed the 60 level.

For more information, you can view Atos’ press release announcing Q-Score and a web page on the Atos site that describes additional information about the Q-score metric.

December 5, 2020