IBM has connected and cooled a pair of modular cryogenic systems as a single unit, taking a step toward quantum computers built from hundreds of linked chips. The company designed the modules to work side by side, creating a path to larger machines without treating each processor as a separate system.
Early testing took the connected pair down to 4 Kelvin in fewer than five days. That is the temperature of liquid helium, and the modules reached below 15 millikelvin shortly afterwards. IBM describes that level as more than 180 times colder than deep space, showing the extreme conditions needed for the system to operate.
A modular path to larger quantum systems
The new design focuses on how quantum processors can connect inside cryogenic equipment. Each module’s vacuum enclosure has wiring capacity of up to 12 times that of IBM’s most widely used quantum systems. That extra space gives IBM room to connect more components as the machines grow.
The modules can sit flush against one another in a row, rather than requiring large gaps between separate cryogenic systems. Processors can also connect directly through IBM’s “L-coupler” technology, which IBM plans to use to bind several processors into a single system.
IBM intends to use L-couplers to create a system with no fewer than 1,000 programmable qubits by 2027. The plan links the physical layout of the modules with a target for a larger programmable machine, while keeping the processors joined as one system.
Jay Gambetta, an IBM research director and IBM fellow, said, “Bringing fault-tolerant quantum computers to industries depends on several fundamental advances.” He added, “The successful connection and operation of these cryogenic modules signals a leap forward in that direction and will accelerate our progress alongside continued innovation in quantum hardware, software, and algorithms.”
From Nighthawk to Starling
IBM expects Nighthawk processors to go into the modules later this year. The company also expects each module to hold thousands of qubits by the time it arrives, giving the modular design a larger role in IBM’s plans for quantum computing.
The next major target is Starling, which IBM scheduled for 2029. IBM expects Starling to be the first fault-tolerant quantum computer built anywhere. The company set out its Starling plans last year, and the new cryogenic system is part of the work supporting that goal.
Fault tolerance matters because IBM’s plans depend on building quantum machines that can operate as dependable systems rather than isolated processors. The company connects that aim to advances in hardware, software, and algorithms, with the cryogenic modules handling the physical task of linking more processors together.
IBM adds HRL Laboratories to its quantum effort
IBM also disclosed in July 2026 that it had reached a definitive agreement to buy HRL Laboratories. HRL is owned jointly by Boeing and General Motors, and IBM said the two owners will remain involved after the transaction.
HRL Laboratories’ silicon-spin qubit engineering will add to IBM’s effort to build more powerful quantum machines. That work joins IBM’s modular cryogenic systems and L-coupler technology as part of the company’s push toward larger processors and connected systems.
The pieces fit together around a clear set of milestones: the modules have already operated as a connected pair, Nighthawk processors are due later this year, a system with at least 1,000 programmable qubits is planned for 2027, and Starling is scheduled for 2029. IBM’s approach depends on scaling both the number of qubits and the equipment needed to keep them cold.
