[Report] "Not the Future, but the Present"... A Firsthand Look at IBM's Quantum Computer 'Quantum System Two'

Exploring IBM's Watson Research Center in New York
Korea to Introduce the Same 'Heron' QPU Next Year
Plans Unveiled for Large-Scale Quantum Computer Cluster
Quantum Advantage Targeted for 2026, Error-Tolerant 'Sterling' by 2029
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Scott Crowder, Vice President of IBM, is explaining the latest quantum computer "Quantum System Two" installed at the Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, New York. Photo by Baek Jongmin, Tech Specialist

On August 21 (local time), after driving for about an hour from Manhattan, New York, we arrived at the IBM Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights. Inside the research center stood a quantum computer, a culmination of cutting-edge technology. The main attraction was IBM's "Quantum System Two."

It was a massive, silvery metal structure resembling an oversized refrigerator. The overwhelming presence evoked the mysterious black monolith from Stanley Kubrick's classic sci-fi film "2001: A Space Odyssey," only on a larger scale. It was on a completely different level from the older "Quantum System One" that the reporter had seen before.

The distinctive high-pitched sound produced by circulating helium to keep the quantum processor unit (QPU)-the core of the quantum computer-at ultra-low temperatures filled the space.

This chirping sound, reminiscent of chicks, is a characteristic background noise of superconducting quantum computers. Amid the "peep peep" sounds, calculations capable of changing the future of humanity were taking place.

Quantum System Two is equipped with three of the latest QPUs, called "Heron." Each of these chips has 156 qubits, enabling it to perform calculations in just a few seconds that would take conventional supercomputers decades to complete. In contrast, the previous System One had a single QPU integrating 127 qubits.

IBM has steadily advanced its quantum computing technology. In 2001, it succeeded in the world's first 5-qubit experiment, and in 2017, it released a cloud-based quantum computer. According to the roadmap announced this June, IBM plans to achieve "quantum advantage" next year, commercialize the error-correcting quantum computer "Sterling" by 2029, and introduce "Blue Jay," which will support 2,000 logical qubits, by 2033.

IBM's latest QPU 'Heron'. Photo by Jangmin Baek, Tech Specialist

Quantum System Two is expected to be introduced in Korea as early as next year. It will be an upgrade to the "System One" currently operating at Yonsei University. Jaeho Jung, head of the Quantum Business Group at Yonsei University, said, "By June next year, we plan to replace our current quantum computer with the same Heron QPU as System Two."

This means that domestic researchers will be able to use the latest quantum computer directly, not just through the cloud, for research requiring complex calculations, such as in biotechnology. Scott Crowder, Vice President of IBM, stated, "System One is gradually being retired."

There are very few cases of System One, let alone System Two, being installed outside the United States. Currently, Japan is the only country besides the U.S. operating System Two. Even with planned expansions next year, only Spain and India are expected to join.

IBM emphasized that its quantum computers are significantly superior in scale and scalability compared to other types of qubit configurations. To demonstrate this, the company is planning to connect multiple System Two units to create a quantum computer cluster in Poughkeepsie, New York. Vice President Crowder explained, "We will expand System Two to build a large-scale quantum computing network."