GoKawiilQuantinuum unveils 98-qubit Helios trapped-ion quantum processor
Quantinuum has introduced Helios, a 98-qubit trapped-ion quantum computer that uses a four-way junction to shuttle ions between memory and processing zones, alongside new control software called Helios runtime that schedules ion movement and laser operations. It surpasses the company's earlier machines, which had 32 qubits in 2023 and 56 qubits in 2025, making it the largest trapped-ion system built so far.
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Moving ions efficiently without degrading their quantum states has been a major bottleneck for scaling trapped-ion computers, so a junction design that allows more parallel routing addresses a core engineering challenge rather than just adding qubits. This approach diverges from superconducting qubit architectures, where movement isn't needed, suggesting trapped-ion systems could pursue a distinct scaling path if the control software can keep pace with growing complexity.
- Helios is Quantinuum's largest trapped-ion quantum computer with 98 qubits.
- A new four-way junction lets ions be routed through multiple paths instead of a simple line or loop.
- Helios runtime software coordinates ion movement and laser operations to avoid conflicts and boost parallelism.
Quantum Computing for Everyone" by Chris Bernhardt — If Helios's ion-shuttling architecture and qubit routing left you curious, this book builds the fundamentals from linear algebra up through entanglement, quantum gates and key algorithms. It's written for readers without a physics degree, so terms like qubit and quantum gate stop being buzzwords and start making sense.
See Quantum Computing for Everyone" by Chris Bernhardt on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: techspot.com — Skye Jacobs, 2026-08-25
Published there as: “This 98-qubit quantum computer moves ions around to compute more efficiently”
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