Title: "From quantum utility-scale to fault-tolerance"

Abstract:

Progress in quantum computing has been rapid in recent years, bringing together advanced hardware and software to enable utility scale quantum experiments. In this talk I will take a stroll through IBM Quantum’s approach on our path from current utility scale experiments to fault-tolerance, combining software, cloud access and hardware in one package. In addition, I will briefly present the status of our latest quantum processor Heron, featuring 133 qubits.

Bio:

Dr. Steffen is an IBM Fellow and currently leads the Quantum Processor Technologies organization at IBM and is responsible for the design, build, and test of large-scale advanced quantum processors on a path to bring quantum advantage and fault tolerant quantum computing to reality. Dr. Steffen received his B.S. degree in physics from Emory University (1998) and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from Stanford University (2000, 2003). He has worked in the field of quantum computing since 1998 and focused on a variety of approaches towards building a quantum computer. His Ph.D. thesis focused on testing small prototype quantum computers using nuclear spins in liquid solution, while his postdoctoral work and work at IBM centered on advancing superconducting quantum bits. Dr. Steffen came to IBM in 2006 and managed the experimental quantum computing group from 2010 –2014 after which he became the Chief Quantum Architect until 2023 when he took over the responsibility of the Quantum Processor Technologies organization. He was appointed as an APS Fellow in 2013 for his contributions to the quantum computing field, and became an IEEE Senior Member in 2015, and elected to become member of the National Academy of Engineering in 2024. He has authored or co-authored over 40 peer review articles in the field of quantum computing and holds numerous patents in the field.