IonQ says its record-breaking quantum computer is most powerful ever

By Leah Crane

Kai Hudek, IonQ

There is yet another contender for most powerful quantum computer ever. IonQ has announced a new machine with 32 quantum bits, or qubits, that the firm says is more practically powerful than any of its competitors.

Unlike ordinary bits, which can store only a 0 or 1, qubits can store a combination of these states, allowing quantum computers to process far more information. IonQ’s machine doesn’t have more qubits than any other computer, but the firm says its quantum volume – a metric coined by IBM …