Dwave Quantum Computer is Cooling Its 128 Qubit Chips For Testing

Dwave System reports that three Rainier (128 qubit) 1st silicon chips are on their way to 10mK. On two of them we are doing device-level testing, the third has a full 8-qubit unit cell with all the programmable control circuitry bells and whistles.

From the last coverage on Dwave

D-Wave plans to have a 1,000-qubit system operating by the end of 2009.

“We can fit roughly 2,000 qubits on our current processor, which is about the limit of where we can go with the current design,” admits Rose. “After that’s achieved, we need to have some other method of going to larger numbers. So the next step in the redesign – or the evolution of the technology – is getting to millions of qubits.”

Unless, that is, D-Wave runs out of investor money first. “I’ve lived through many economic crises, so the next year could be tough for D-Wave,” admits Farris.
Corporate America and the IBMs of the world have said, ‘Everybody will be knocking on your door when you get to 500 qubits.’ But that might change in this economy.