IBM has announced an expanded quantum computing roadmap, introducing plans for a 520-qubit processor and a 1,040-qubit quantum computing system in 2027 as it works toward developing fault-tolerant quantum computers before the end of the decade.
The announcement was made Nov. 11 at the company’s 2026 Quantum Developer Conference. The updated roadmap outlines a significant change in IBM’s approach to scaling its Nighthawk processor family, with larger individual chips replacing an earlier plan that relied on connecting a greater number of smaller processors.
The next-generation Nighthawk r3 processor is being designed to support 520 programmable qubits and accurately execute 10,000 quantum operations.
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IBM plans to connect two Nighthawk r3 processors in 2027, creating a system with 1,040 programmable qubits.
Under its previous roadmap, IBM had planned to connect nine 120-qubit Nighthawk processors to deliver a system with 1,080 qubits.
The revised approach reduces the number of processors required while keeping the planned system capacity at a comparable level.
Each Nighthawk r3 processor is designed to contain 2,034 physical qubits, including 520 programmable qubits.
The distinction matters because not every physical component on a quantum processor is available for computation, some support other functions required to operate the system.
IBM’s roadmap update also carries performance improvements introduced with Nighthawk r2, which became available in September 2026.
The processor retains 120 programmable qubits but incorporates hardware-based qubit resets to reduce the time required to prepare qubits for subsequent operations.
Quantum computers use qubits that are sensitive to environmental disturbances and can accumulate errors during computation. Resetting them to their ground state is an important part of preparing them for certain operations.
IBM’s approach uses additional physical components dedicated to removing energy from programmable qubits, allowing them to return to the ground state more quickly.
Nighthawk r2 contains 458 physical qubits, of which 120 are programmable. IBM has reported performance improvements of up to 19 times compared with previous-generation processors on certain workloads.
The company also said its clients and research partners, including E.ON, Algorithmiq and Q-CTRL, have collectively run more than 34 billion circuits on Nighthawk r2.
Beyond increasing individual processor capacity, IBM is working on technologies that allow separate quantum chips to communicate.
The company has demonstrated connections between two Nighthawk r1 processors using four specialized links called L-couplers.
The demonstration achieved a quantum state transfer fidelity of 99.3%, approaching IBM’s longer-term target of 99.9%.
IBM is also developing modular cryogenic systems that can cool connected processor modules to the extremely low temperatures required for quantum computing.
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These technologies will be important as the company moves toward larger systems and its longer-term fault-tolerant computing goals.
IBM’s broader roadmap includes developing Starling, a fault-tolerant quantum computer targeted for 2029. The company is pursuing advances in processor design, connectivity and error correction as it works toward making increasingly complex quantum computations possible.