China’s Baidu Unveils 10-Qubit Quantum Computer

Chinese company Baidu has launched its first superconducting quantum computer called “Qian Shi,” which it claims is the world’s first “all-platform quantum hardware-software integration solution” and is already available to use by the public.

The 10-qubit quantum computer(Opens in a new window) was revealed at the Quantum Create 2022 conference in Beijing, and it combines Baidu’s hardware, software stack (called Liang Xi), and a number of “practical quantum applications.” The company also points out that other commercially available quantum computers currently only offer up to 7 qubits of performance.

Baidu is probably best known for its search engine, but believes its quantum computer can help in the rapid development of artificial intelligence, computational biology, material simulation, and financial technology. Applications that already exist include quantum algorithms for novel lithium battery development and protein folding simulations.

Other players in this field are working on significantly more powerful quantum computers at the moment. Fujitsu will start selling a 64-qubit machine in 2023, and then a 1,000-qubit machine after March 2027. Google already has a 53-qubit quantum computer in its lab, and IBM demonstrated a 127-qubit machine last year. However, IBM is aiming to achieve more-than 4,000 qubits by 2025(Opens in a new window). Meanwhile, Baidu is now working on a 36-quibit quantum chip.