China launches third-generation superconducting quantum computer

Published: January 07,2024

China’s third-generation autonomous superconducting quantum computer, “Origin Wukong,” went online on Saturday.

Adopting the third-generation quantum computing measurement and control system, the overall operating efficiency of the quantum computer has been increased by dozens of times, according to Kong Weicheng, deputy director of Anhui Quantum Computing Engineering Research Center. The research center is jointly founded by Key Laboratory of Quantum Information of Chinese Academy of Science and Chinese startup Origin Quantum Computing Technology.

This quantum computer is equipped with a 72-qubit superconducting quantum chip, called “Wukong chip,” which is currently China’s most advanced applicable quantum computer, the company said in the statement. The chip has a total of 198 qubits, including 72 qubits and 126 couplers.

Guo Guoping, the main leader of the research team for the third-generation superconducting quantum computer, said that although China has made certain progress in the field, it is clear to see that there’s still quite a gap compared with other world’s leading quantum computing players.

The first and second generations of Origin Wukong have already been delivered to users in China.

According to the latest Global Quantum Computing Technology Patent Filings Ranking List, Origin Quantum is ranked first in China and sixth in the world by the number of invention patents it has applied for in quantum computing.

Source: CGTN