New quantum hardware puts the mechanics in quantum mechanics

Quantinuum unveiled its new Helios quantum computer, featuring 96 trapped-ion qubits—a significant jump from its previous 56-qubit system—while maintaining high performance and connectivity between any two qubits. The innovative hardware uses a loop-and-intersection design that rotates ions like a hard drive, directing them through junction points to operation zones for quantum calculations. As a demonstration, researchers used Helios to simulate superconductivity models that challenge classical computers, successfully producing accurate results despite computational errors.