Overview
- Loon is an experimental processor that IBM says demonstrates the components needed for scalable, fault-tolerant machines by packing denser qubit connections, including vertical links across layers.
- Nighthawk uses four-way qubit connectivity and, in preliminary tests, ran programs about 30% more complex than IBM’s current workhorse systems, according to company researchers.
- IBM plans to make Nighthawk accessible by the end of 2025 and to share code so outside teams can attempt independent checks of claimed advantages on specific tasks in 2026.
- IBM credits advanced fabrication at New York’s Albany NanoTech Complex with enabling the added interconnects that its error-management approach requires.
- The announcements land in a broader race focused on cutting qubit errors, with Google’s Willow and Microsoft’s Majorana 1 chips highlighting competing paths that still require rigorous third-party benchmarking before wide commercial use.