Quantum/Machines/IBM Quantum System Two (Chicago)
USA · under construction · Superconducting circuits
IBM Quantum System Two (Chicago)
IBM Quantum System Two (Chicago) is a superconducting circuits quantum computer operated by IBM in USA. It has 156 physical qubits. It ranks 7 of 43 superconducting machines in this table by physical qubit count. 8 sourced specs are in the spec sheet. No benchmark figures are recorded for it yet.
Also known as National Quantum Algorithm Center system
Anchor of the National Quantum Algorithm Center in the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park. The 2024 release planned deployment in the coming year; IBM's technology page still lists the Chicago install as underway. The 156 count assumes Heron.
Spec sheet
Technical details as the builder or a paper states them, each with its own source. A blank is a fact we could not source, not a zero. Fidelity and coherence figures are in the benchmark table below.
| Spec | Value | Basis | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | IBM Heron, 156-qubit second-generation processor, in IBM Quantum System Two | Vendor reported | IBM release of 12 December 2024 says the Chicago System Two will be powered by Heron; the exact revision is not restated since. | newsroom.ibm.comibm.com |
| Qubit type | Fixed-frequency superconducting qubit with tunable couplers | Vendor reported | Heron-family description from IBM technology page; not specific to the Chicago unit. | ibm.com |
| Topology | Heavy-hex lattice, 156 qubits | Vendor reported | Family-wide fact for Heron r2 and r3 from IBM docs; the Chicago unit is not individually described. | quantum.cloud.ibm.com |
| Native gates | CZ, ID, RZ, SX, X | Independent | Heron-family basis set from third-party papers; not specific to the Chicago unit. | arxiv.orgarxiv.org |
| Cooling and environment | IBM Quantum System Two scalable cryogenic infrastructure | Vendor reported | IBM describes System Two as combining scalable cryogenic infrastructure, classical runtime servers and modular control electronics; cryostat details for Chicago are not published. | newsroom.ibm.comibm.com |
| Software | Qiskit | Vendor reported | IBM release says users will access the system through Qiskit. | newsroom.ibm.com |
| Access and pricing | Partner research access through the National Quantum Algorithm Center; no price published | Vendor reported | Partners named include University of Chicago, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Chicago Quantum Exchange. | newsroom.ibm.comquantumzeitgeist.com |
| Roadmap | Deployment in Chicago planned for September 2026, later to move to the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park | Vendor reported | Quantum Zeitgeist of 22 April 2026 gives September 2026; the December 2024 IBM release said the coming year. | quantumzeitgeist.comnewsroom.ibm.com |
Timeline
- 2024-12-12: Announced
- 2026-10-07: Status checked: under construction
More from IBM
- IBM Eagle (decommissioned, 127 qubits)
- IBM Osprey (decommissioned, 433 qubits)
- IBM Condor (operational, 1,121 qubits)
- IBM Heron (operational, 156 qubits)
- IBM Nighthawk (operational, 120 qubits)
- IBM Loon (operational)
- IBM Quantum System Two (Yorktown Heights) (operational)
- IBM Quantum Starling (planned)
Comparable superconducting machines
Closest in physical qubit count within the same technology. Counts of different qubit types are not interchangeable across technologies.
| Machine | Operator | Qubits | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| IBM Heron | IBM | 156 | operational |
| RIKEN IBM Quantum System Two | RIKEN | 156 | operational |
| IBM-Euskadi Quantum System Two | IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center | 156 | operational |
| LUMI-IQ | CSC | 150 | planned |
| Origin Wukong-180 | Origin Quantum | 180 | operational |
| IBM Eagle | IBM | 127 | decommissioned |