Amazon Ups Quantum Game With New 54-Qubit QPU, Eyes Commercial Future

Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) Braket now offers customers access to IQM's newest quantum processing unit (QPU), Emerald.

Emerald is a 54-qubit superconducting device with higher gate fidelity and full square lattice connectivity.

By adding Emerald to its platform, Amazon Braket expands its quantum hardware lineup, allowing users to choose between IQM's 20-qubit Garnet and the more advanced 54-qubit Emerald—both available in the Europe (Stockholm) Region.

This expansion supports researchers and developers in experimenting across multiple quantum systems, a critical step in advancing quantum algorithm development for complex challenges in finance, energy, pharma, and logistics.

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Flexible Access And High-Performance Specs

Customers worldwide can run programs on-demand or reserve dedicated capacity on Emerald through Braket Direct. They offer flexible pricing options and priority execution for hybrid quantum-classical algorithms.

Emerald's Crystal 54 architecture uses superconducting transmon qubits arranged in a square lattice with tunable couplers, enabling efficient algorithm mapping and supporting native surface-code error correction—a key feature for future fault-tolerant quantum computing. The QPU supports flexible single- and two-qubit gate operations with high fidelities—99.93% for single-qubit and 99.5% for two-qubit gates.

Braket offers a unified programming interface, supporting the Braket SDK as well as other frameworks like Qiskit, Pennylane, and Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) CUDA-Q. This makes it easy for users to build, test, and run quantum programs on Emerald.

AWS Pushes Ahead With Ocelot Prototype Chip

In February, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has advanced its quantum computing efforts by introducing Ocelot, a prototype quantum chip designed to reduce the cost of quantum error correction by up to 90%.

Developed at the AWS Center for Quantum Computing at Caltech, Ocelot integrates cat qubit technology and scalable error correction components using semiconductor manufacturing techniques—highlighting AWS's focus on building commercially viable quantum hardware.

AWS aims to replicate its success in scaling cloud chips like Graviton by investing long-term in quantum R&D. Ocelot represents a foundational step in AWS's strategy to develop secure, scalable quantum systems that can support future commercial applications.

Big Tech Accelerates the Quantum Race

Meanwhile, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) has accelerated its quantum roadmap by unveiling the Majorana 1 chip, a key milestone in its goal to scale quantum computing to one million qubits. The chip's development, supported by DARPA, leverages topological quantum materials to power artificial intelligence and high-performance computing breakthroughs.

Alphabet's (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google is also advancing rapidly, with its Willow chip introduced last December. Willow focuses on exponential error reduction as qubit counts increase, bringing Google closer to launching commercial quantum applications within the next five years.

Nvidia has entered the space through a collaboration with Quantum AI. It aims to support quantum hardware development by combining its strengths in GPU acceleration with emerging quantum systems.

These corporate investments underscore the growing race to commercialize quantum computing.

Boston Consulting Group projects the global quantum computing market will generate $450 billion to $850 billion in economic value by 2040, supporting a $90 billion to $170 billion opportunity for hardware and software providers.

Price Action: AMZN stock is up 1.04% at $228.48 at last check Monday.

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