IonQ achieved a world-first entanglement rate of over 1,000 per second (1 kHz). This rate occurred between a trapped ion qubit and a solid-state quantum memory, utilizing a photonic interconnect. The rate is more than four times faster than the previous record for trapped ions. IonQ co-founder Chris Monroe was also linked to that prior benchmark.
This achievement represents a critical step toward distributed quantum computing. Distributed quantum computing involves networking multiple quantum processors to scale their power. IonQ addressed a key bottleneck in transferring quantum information between systems. The company achieved this by linking two distinct quantum hardware types: a trapped ion for coherence and a solid-state memory for light-coupling efficiency. This architecture supports the company's roadmap to build networked quantum data centers.