IBM selected for Stage C of DARPA's Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, putting its Starling hardware under test

IBM/Starling fault-tolerant roadmap

IBM has been selected for Stage C, the final verification phase of DARPA's Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, alongside Atom Computing, Diraq and IonQ. In this phase DARPA tests physical quantum processors, control electronics, cryogenic packaging and software rather than reviewing blueprints on paper. The program asks whether commercial hardware can reach utility scale, meaning output worth more than its cost, by 2033.

• IBM plans to deliver its fault-tolerant Quantum Starling system in 2029; the testing covers the 2029 roadmap targets of 200 logical qubits and 100 million gate operations.
• DARPA will also audit the architecture of the 2029 Starling system, including its FPGA real-time decoders.
• Stage C follows a yearlong Stage B assessment; Microsoft and PsiQuantum were already in Stage C through the earlier US2QC pilot.