Overview
- IBM announced on Wednesday that it built, cooled and connected the first two modular cryogenic dilution refrigerator units and validated joint operation at below 15 millikelvin.
- Under a 30-microwatt simulated heat load meant to mimic wiring and electronics, the paired modules operated at 23 millikelvin, showing the design can tolerate realistic internal heat.
- The modules contain no processors yet but IBM plans to install one Nighthawk processor in each unit later this year to test in-module operation and cross-module communication.
- IBM reports its L-coupler superconducting link has achieved a best cross-module two-qubit fidelity of 99.3 percent with a target of 99.9 percent for fault-tolerant systems, and it expects initial multi-module deployments in 2027 that will use two or three cells to support roughly 1,000 physical qubits.
- The effort fits into a broader ecosystem plan that includes partner Bluefors delivering modular cryogenic platforms late in 2026 and aims to reach IBM’s Starling fault-tolerant machine that will need about 12 modules by 2029, with modular design chosen to provide roughly 12 times more wiring space and easier testing, shipping and maintenance.