At Think 2026, IBM Research’s leadership announced that practical quantum computing had arrived. IBM Research Director Jay Gambetta said the company is now employing quantum systems to solve pressing, real-world problems, going beyond academic research and “thought experiments.”
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The Operating System of the Universe
The fundamental idea behind this advancement is the understanding that nature is fundamentally quantum. Researchers need to overcome the constraints of traditional computing to accurately imitate the natural world. In keeping with physicist Richard Feynman’s prediction that a quantum computer is necessary to simulate quantum mechanics, Gambetta refers to quantum mechanics as the “operating system of the universe.”
IBM’s approach entails broadening the computational toolkit to tackle systems like financial systems, novel materials, and more effective batteries that are difficult for traditional computers to handle. IBM and its partners are now carrying out the rigorous arithmetic required to simulate these complex ecosystems with previously unheard-of precision by utilizing quantum-centric computers.
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Mapping Life: A Milestone in Protein Simulation
The Cleveland Clinic and RIKEN collaborated to make one of the biggest announcements at Think 2026. The largest quantum-centric simulation of a protein-ligand complex to date was accomplished by researchers through the successful simulation of a 12,635-atom protein complex.
Sample-based quantum diagonalization (SQD), an algorithm operating on IBM quantum hardware, was used to accomplish this achievement. Quantum-centric supercomputing (QCSC), which combines quantum and classical hardware specifically, RIKEN’s Fugaku supercomputer was used in the simulation. The team was able to outperform earlier cutting-edge quantum-centric techniques by 210 times with its hybrid strategy. While classical approaches are currently having difficulty with such intricate electronic structures, “quantum is just getting started,” according to Jerry Chow, an IBM Fellow and CTO of quantum-centric supercomputing.
Powering the Future: Advancing Nuclear Fusion
The IBM is using its knowledge of quantum technology to construct nuclear fusion reactors, one of the energy solutions of the future. Fusion, which demands exact control over reactor fuel, generates energy by binding lighter atoms into heavier ones, in contrast to conventional fission.
The chemistry of molten salt (FLiBe), a mixture of fluorine, lithium, and beryllium used to line fusion reactor walls, is being studied by researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory utilizing IBM’s technology. To create tritium, the fuel for fusion, this salt is essential for absorbing neutrons. The feasibility of fusion energy depends on consistent manufacturing, as only a few pounds of tritium are created annually worldwide.
Researchers used QCSC simulation to accurately estimate the free energy of FLiBe atoms, matching state-of-the-art classical approaches without using “crude approximations.” Jerry Chow emphasized that this overcomes the drawbacks of traditional high-accuracy research by offering a straightforward method for calculating chemically and physically relevant values that can be directly measured in a laboratory setting.
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Using Q-CTRL to Transform Materials Science
Q-CTRL further established the impact of “useful quantum” by reporting a significant advancement in materials science simulation. Q-CTRL conducted a commercially relevant simulation 3,000 times faster than state-of-the-art classical techniques using the IBM Quantum Platform supplemented with their proprietary performance-management software.
This was more than just a “toy problem”; it was a simulation of 60 electrons interacting. To put things in perspective, classical techniques usually reach a “ceiling” around about 20 electrons. The quantum workflow finished this calculation in under two minutes while maintaining an accuracy within 1% of classical methods, whereas a conventional computer might take 100 hours. This significant time savings from days to minutes highlights the IBM Quantum Platform’s usefulness for industrial applications.
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The Path Forward: Quantum-Centric Supercomputing
Quantum-Centric Supercomputing (QCSC) is essential to the success of these many programs, which range from healthcare to energy. Results are continuously exchanged between quantum and conventional hardware in these operations. IBM has published a reference design meant to direct the community toward a more tightly integrated computing workflow in the future, despite the fact that this process can now be slow.
Although the technology itself is stunning, clients and partners are what make it “something real,” according to Jamie Garcia, IBM’s director of strategic growth and quantum alliances. At Think 2026, it was evident that quantum computing had evolved from a theoretical fantasy to a practical instrument for worldwide innovation due to its capacity to model energy systems, simulate molecules, and speed up materials science. As Jay Gambetta remarked, IBM’s partners are “just getting started” and their work is demonstrating that practical quantum is real at the moment.
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