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Rigetti Says Coherence Time, Not Qubit Count, Is Its Key Hurdle
Rigetti Computing said in its latest technology update that the biggest challenge in its quantum roadmap is no longer adding more qubits but improving the performance of its flagship 108-qubit Cepheus system. During the second quarter of 2026 earnings call, management acknowledged that coherence time has become the primary bottleneck limiting two-qubit gate fidelity, even as Cepheus-1-108Q stands among only three generally available gate-based quantum computers with more than 100 qubits. The system currently operates with coherence times of roughly 25-30 microseconds, a level that constrains the reliability of quantum operations. Rigetti is directing engineering efforts toward chip redesigns, fabrication process improvements and new materials, including tantalum-capped superconducting contacts, and management expects these initiatives to gradually double or even triple coherence times over the next several years. In peer updates, Quantum Computing Inc. signed a three-year Framework Agreement with Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar covering quantum computing, sensing and communications, while IonQ secured an $8.18 million commercial agreement with Congruity360 to integrate quantum-safe networking into its enterprise data management platform.
IonQ and SDT Ink Multi-Year Quantum Partnership for South Korea
IonQ has entered a multi-year strategic partnership with Seoul-based quantum software and technology provider SDT, Inc. The deal marks a double milestone for South Korea, delivering both its first IonQ Superion 256 quantum system and its first silicon-vacancy quantum memory module. The Superion 256 unit will be deployed for an SDT client in South Korea to anchor a collaborative effort in designing next-generation hybrid quantum-classical data centers. To support this deployment and future expansion, SDT is establishing a dedicated quantum manufacturing and integration facility in Gumi, South Korea, which will oversee the assembly, packaging, and commissioning of IonQ's SiV quantum memory modules and complete systems. SDT CEO Jiwon Yune said the Gumi facility is slated to become an active operational hub within IonQ's broader global supply chain, and noted the company's role will also extend to a separate in-country cancer center project developing hybrid quantum-classical infrastructure for medical and biomedical research with IonQ. The partnership elevates the two companies' relationship beyond cloud software integration into physical hardware production, assembly, and regional distribution, complementing IonQ's existing partnerships with Hyundai Motor Company, SK Telecom, KISTI, Seoul National University, and Sungkyunkwan University.
IBM Finalizes $1 Billion Federal Award for Anderon Quantum Foundry
IBM finalized a $1 billion Commerce Department award for its Anderon subsidiary, adding federal backing to its domestic quantum-chip manufacturing push. The company is putting another $1 billion of its own capital behind Anderon's 300-millimeter Albany foundry, taking the disclosed funding package to $2 billion before counting previous investment at the site. Early wafers are already moving through production, targeting superconducting qubits alongside the signaling and readout hardware needed to connect them, with more quantum architectures expected to follow. Shares fell 0.5% to $228.46, a price 5.91% below IBM's GF Value estimate of $242.80. Washington is covering half of the newly disclosed $2 billion commitment, but IBM has not disclosed outside customers, purchase commitments, expected utilization or revenue targets for the foundry.
International Business Machines
IONQ Inc
Microsoft Corporation
D-Wave Quantum Inc. Common Stock
Rigetti Computing Inc