IBM has announced its plan to develop the world’s first fault-tolerant quantum computer, targeting completion by 2029. The system, named IBM Quantum Starling, is expected to dramatically outperform current quantum machines, capable of executing 100 million quantum operations with 200 logical qubits. The new system will be built at the company’s upcoming IBM Quantum Data Center in Poughkeepsie, New York.
According to IBM, Starling will be 20,000 times more powerful in operations than existing quantum systems. It is also projected to pave the way for IBM Quantum Blue Jay, a successor platform aiming for 2,000 logical qubits and one billion operations.
New architecture with qLDPC codes to reduce qubit overhead
The core of IBM’s fault-tolerant design lies in its new quantum architecture based on quantum low-density parity check (qLDPC) codes. This method allows significant reduction in the number of physical qubits needed, with up to 90% lower overhead compared to existing error-correcting techniques.
Logical qubits, which are composed of multiple physical qubits, are critical to identifying and correcting computation errors in real-time. These innovations are designed to support practical applications in fields like chemistry, drug discovery, optimisation, and materials science. IBM’s research suggests that storing Starling’s quantum state would demand more memory than a quindecillion (10⁴⁸) of the most powerful modern supercomputers combined.
IBM also released two research papers: one detailing how qLDPC improves instruction processing efficiency, and another showing how classical computing systems can be used to decode errors in real time.
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Roadmap spans from Loon to Cockatoo before reaching Starling
The IBM Quantum roadmap outlines several milestones on the path to Starling. IBM Quantum Loon, expected in 2025, will test long-distance couplers required for qLDPC implementation. In 2026, IBM Quantum Kookaburra will introduce the first modular processor combining quantum memory with logic units. By 2027, IBM Quantum Cockatoo will integrate multiple Kookaburra modules into a scalable networked quantum system.
With these advancements, IBM hopes to move quantum computing from the experimental phase to practical, scalable deployment. The company emphasized that building these systems involves reusing proven components and integrating existing error correction frameworks, rather than constructing everything from scratch.
IBM currently operates a global fleet of quantum systems and views Starling as the stepping stone toward truly fault-tolerant infrastructure for enterprise-grade quantum computing.
