IBM Launches New Quantum Computer at Hyde Park Labs - Chicago Maroon

Categories: FeatureNews IBM Launches New Quantum Computer at Hyde Park Labs The state-of-the-art quantum computer was unveiled at a November 6 event about the future of quantum technology in Illinois. Nathaniel Rodwell-Simon Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker cuts the ribbon to unveil the IBM Quantum System Two with leaders from UChicago, IBM, and other organizations.

By Meira Gable November 13, 2026 An IBM Quantum System Two quantum computer was unveiled at its temporary home at Hyde Park Labs on November 6, part of ongoing collaboration between IBM, UChicago, the state of Illinois, and the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP), the computer’s eventual home. The first iteration of the Quantum System Two was released in December 2023, powered by the IBM Quantum Heron chip.

The Chicago Quantum System Two is powered by the IBM Quantum Nighthawk, the company’s fastest quantum processor, with 120 programmable quantum bits (qubits) and a processing speed of more than 100kHz, about 25 times that of the Heron. Quantum computing allows computers to run simulations faster and more efficiently than classical computers, and IBM expects their primary use cases to be “modeling the behavior of physical systems and identifying patterns and structures in information.” The Quantum Nighthawk can run one million random-circuit samples, a metric for determining the output of a quantum computer, in 19 seconds, a feat that would take a normal supercomputer more than a century. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, “[w]hereas two classical bits can be placed in only one combination of states at a time (such as 1 and 0), two qubits can contain a superposition of four combinations of 0s and 1s simultaneously. Three qubits can contain eight combinations; four qubits, 16 combinations and so on. Each additional qubit doubles the number of combinations: an exponential increase.” Gallery / 2 Photos Nathaniel Rodwell-Simon A close-up of the Quantum System Two model. “Impressive as the hardware is, the real value of quantum computing is when we start to discover algorithms and problems that will eventually matter for the industry,” IBM Director of Research Jay Gambetta said at the computer’s unveiling. The University of Chicago first partnered with IBM and the University of Tokyo in May 2023, working toward the production of a 100,000-qubit system by 2033—more than 830 times the qubits in the Nighthawk. This year, IBM and UChicago were able to demonstrate quantum advantage, defined as “the point where quantum computers can be confirmed to have outperformed classical computers on trusted computations.” In December 2024, Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker announced the formation of the National Quantum Algorithm Center (NQAC), which will be driven by the Quantum System Two within the IQMP in Chicago. The NQAC offers quantum technology training and prioritized access to IQMP’s quantum resources for its members to progress quantum algorithms and applications. Gambetta gave Pritzker a tour of the computer before the ribbon-cutting ceremony, which was followed by remarks from Gambetta, Pritzker, University President Paul Alivisatos, and others. IBM Research Director Jay Gambetta explains the Quantum System Two’s mechanics to Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker. (Nathaniel Rodwell-Simon) Harley Johnson, CEO of IQMP, detailed the advantages of the IQMP’s collaboration with public and private partners during remarks at the event. “Part of what makes the IQMP so innovative is the fact that our model is built on the principles of collaboration,” Johnson said. “By designing the IQMP as a complex partnership… we’re creating a proof of concept, showing how a new industry can be built when public and private partners come together around a shared goal.

The Quantum System Two, its presence here, epitomizes what makes that model work: cooperation and mutual commitment.” Alivisatos spoke about what he thinks the University’s collaboration with IBM represents. “What we’re doing here is showing a deeply entrepreneurial spirit of ‘can do.’ We’re going to break through the problems together, and for us, it means that we’re able to bring some of the greatest minds in the world to the important promise of modern computing and quantum technologies.” The University of Chicago has a long history of quantum physics research going back to Enrico Fermi’s work in the 1940s. In 2011, the University founded the Institute for Molecular Engineering (now the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering) and in 2017 established the Chicago Quantum Exchange, a Midwestern hub for quantum research partnered with the University-managed Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, regional universities, and industry leaders. More recently, the University partnered with quantum computing firm IonQ to fund construction of a new science and engineering building. These investments give UChicago an unparalleled ecosystem for quantum research, according to Alivisatos, who cited the recent demonstration of quantum advantage as an example. Pritzker reiterated his plan “to make Illinois the global capital of quantum technology” and ensure that Illinoisans benefit from any development that takes place, identifying the unveiling of a Quantum System Two computer in Chicago as an important step towards reaching those goals. “I intend to make sure that our working families and communities in our state are at the core of the success that is brought,” he said. “Developing the talent, the workforce, the relationships [is] needed to make sure that our quantum breakthroughs start here, grow here, and are fully realized here.” John Atkinson, chair of the Illinois Economic Development Corporation, and Brad Henderson, CEO of Chicago-based start-up investor P33, also emphasized the economic growth quantum computing will bring to Illinois. “That machine… represents opportunities for people. Jobs. We forecasted [that] by 2035 in Chicago, in the region, there will be 177,000 quantum jobs,” Henderson said. Gambetta echoed Pritzker’s hope of integrating quantum into Illinois’s economy, particularly with regard to start-up organizations. IBM currently partners with UChicago’s Duality program at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which aims to help quantum startups gain traction through mentorship, industry exposure, and other benefits. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Chancellor Charles Isbell highlighted the importance of human collaboration in the creation of quantum systems. UIUC has partnered with IBM since 2021 to develop quantum technology in Illinois and has funded the Grand Challenges awards run through NQAC for postdoctoral researchers working on quantum applications. “[New technology] require[s] powerful machines like the ones that we were talking about today, but they also require humans. They require humans who are working together just like we are doing today,” Isbell said. “With IBM’s Quantum System Two here in Chicago, we will all get to decide together what our world looks like for the next generation.” Isbell concluded: “There’s a lot of great things that are gonna happen. And people are gonna look back at moments like this and say these are the moments that made things better for the generations to come.” View Story Comments 0 Like This Story Share on Facebook Share on X Email this Story Print this Story Leave a Comment Tags: Hyde Park LabsIBMQuantum Donate to Chicago Maroon $4,060 $5,000 Contributed Our Goal Your support will ensure that we can continue producing powerful, honest, and accessible reporting that serves the University of Chicago and Hyde Park communities. Donate More to Discover More in Feature USG Holds Bystander Prevention and Alcohol Awareness Workshop for Fraternity Members University Removes Definition of Gender From Website After Pushback CNet IDs Disabled Following Cyberattack on Computer Science Department UChicago Phi Delta Theta Chapter to Disband, Merge with Pi Kappa Alpha Former UChicago Administrator Christian Mitchell Elected Illinois Lieutenant Governor “The Value of the Humanities Is the Human”: Students and Professors Talk New AI Policies More in News David Rubenstein and Faculty Panel Discuss the Declaration of Independence at 250 College Council Recap: Student Government Finance Committee Introduces New Fundraising Guidelines 2026–27 Obama Foundation Scholars Share Program Goals Democratic Students Share Perspectives on Voting, Policy Priorities Ahead of Midterms Architects Seek Student Input on Ida Noyes Renovation as Timeline Remains Unclear An "Unsustainable Work Environment": Obama Foundation Employees on What’s Driving Their Union Push