Quantum Hardware Database
IonQ Forte
IonQ Forte is IonQ's flagship trapped-ion quantum computer, offering 32 algorithmic qubits with all-to-all connectivity and significantly longer coherence times than superconducting alternatives. Trapped-ion systems like Forte are often seen as complementary to superconducting approaches, excelling in fidelity and coherence at the cost of slower gate speeds.
Qubit Count
32
Qubit Type
Trapped-ion (ytterbium ions)
Architecture
Linear ion trap with all-to-all connectivity
Released
2023
Gate Error (2Q)
~0.1% per two-qubit gate
Coherence Time
T₂ > 1 second (trapped ions have much longer coherence than superconducting)
Operating Temp
Room temperature (ion trap operates in vacuum, not cryogenic)
Cloud Access
Yes — AWS Braket, Azure Quantum, Google Cloud
Company
IonQ
Connectivity
All-to-all — any qubit can directly interact with any other qubit
Key Features
- All-to-all qubit connectivity — any qubit can interact with any other, simplifying circuit compilation
- Long coherence times (seconds vs microseconds for superconducting qubits)
- High gate fidelity — among the best available commercially
- Available across multiple major cloud platforms
- No cryogenic cooling required — operates in a compact vacuum chamber at room temperature
Limitations
- Gate operations are slower than superconducting qubits (microseconds vs nanoseconds)
- 32 qubits — fewer than leading superconducting systems
- Scaling to large qubit numbers while maintaining all-to-all connectivity is an engineering challenge
Technical Notes
IonQ measures performance using 'algorithmic qubits' — a metric that accounts for both qubit count and gate fidelity to estimate how complex an algorithm the device can reliably run. Forte's 32 algorithmic qubits compare favorably to much larger superconducting processors with lower fidelity.