Quantum/Machines/IonQ Superion 256
USA · under construction · Trapped ions
IonQ Superion 256
IonQ Superion 256 is a trapped ions quantum computer operated by IonQ in USA. It has 256 physical qubits. It ranks 1 of 15 trapped ion machines in this table by physical qubit count. 8 sourced specs are in the spec sheet. 1 published benchmark or milestone record are listed below, each marked by who measured it.
Also known as Superion
IonQ says first ions are trapped in prototype systems, orders are open and customer deliveries start in 2027. Florida International University announced the first contract in September 2026. The 256 count is the design; no fidelity data yet.
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 | Superion 256 chip with on-chip Electronic Qubit Control, 256 qubits | Vendor reported | Sixth-generation IonQ platform; first fully integrated 256-qubit QPUs were fabricated at SkyWater. | ionq.com |
| Cooling and environment | Data-center-compatible cooling system in a standard server rack footprint | Vendor reported | Release gives no temperature or cooling technology details; it says power draw is less than a rack of GPUs. | ionq.com |
| Fabrication | Designed and fabricated jointly by IonQ and its subsidiary SkyWater | Vendor reported | Release says the chip went through six tapeouts in the first half of 2026. | ionq.com |
| Cloud platforms | IonQ cloud (planned for production-grade systems) | Vendor reported | Release says production-grade systems will also run on and be offered through IonQ's cloud. | ionq.com |
| Access and pricing | On-premises purchase, orders open now, customer deliveries from 2027 | Vendor reported | Florida International University contract announced 2026-09-22, with installation expected in late 2027; no price is published. | ionq.comionq.com |
| Predecessor | IonQ Tempo | Vendor reported | Release names Tempo as the most recent earlier generation. | ionq.comquantumcomputingreport.com |
| Successor | IonQ Superion 10K | Vendor reported | Release says Superion 10K is well underway and integrates CMOS onto the chip. | ionq.com |
| Roadmap | Superion 10K with on-chip CMOS; fault tolerance in a 2027 lab, commercial in 2028 | Vendor reported | IonQ stated this on 2026-09-08; both 256 and 10K generations are being developed concurrently. | ionq.com |
Milestone claims
- IonQ: first fully integrated 256-qubit chips fabricated at SkyWater and first ions trapped in prototype systems; no performance data released; deliveries in 2027 (2026-09-08, vendor reported) ionq.com
Timeline
- 2026-09-08: Announced
- 2026-10-07: Status checked: under construction
More from IonQ
- IonQ Harmony (decommissioned, 11 qubits)
- IonQ Aria (decommissioned, 25 qubits)
- IonQ Forte (operational, 36 qubits)
- IonQ Tempo (operational, 100 qubits)
Comparable trapped ion machines
Closest in physical qubit count within the same technology. Counts of different qubit types are not interchangeable across technologies.
| Machine | Operator | Qubits | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| IonQ Tempo | IonQ | 100 | operational |
| Quantinuum Helios | Quantinuum | 98 | operational |
| Quantinuum H2 | Quantinuum | 56 | upgraded |
| IonQ Forte | IonQ | 36 | operational |
| IonQ Forte Enterprise at EPB | EPB | 36 | operational |
| IonQ Forte Enterprise at QuantumBasel | QuantumBasel | 36 | operational |