Russia Unveils a New 70-Qubit Quantum Computer
Russian researchers have presented a prototype 70-qubit quantum computer built on ytterbium ions. The system marks a significant milestone in the country’s quantum computing roadmap and provides a foundation for applied research.
What the Researchers Demonstrated
In mid-December 2025, a team from the Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences demonstrated the operation of a 70-qubit quantum register based on ultracold ytterbium ions. The test concluded with a control experiment that confirmed the prototype’s functionality and the high accuracy of its basic operations.
The development is overseen within Russia’s national quantum computing program, coordinated by the state corporation Rosatom. The emergence of domestic quantum hardware platforms gives the country a more flexible scientific and technological base and strengthens its technological independence.
How the System Works at the Technical Level
In the device, ions are confined in a trap and cooled to near absolute zero, after which their quantum states are manipulated using lasers and microwave pulses. In this prototype, researchers used 35 ytterbium ions, with each ion encoding two qubits, resulting in a total of 70 qubits in the register.
Operation quality, specifically the fidelity of single-qubit and two-qubit gates, is no less critical than qubit count. According to laboratory data, single-qubit fidelity in the prototype is close to 99.98%, while two-qubit fidelity is around 96%. These parameters make the platform suitable for a range of academic and experimental tasks.
Why It Matters for the Country and for Industry
Increasing the number of qubits moves Russia closer to a level at which quantum machines can tackle non-standard problems in chemistry, materials science, and optimization. Having its own hardware base reduces risks associated with importing equipment and opens the door to future domestic cloud-based quantum services.
For business, the system serves as an experimental platform on which companies can test algorithms for accelerated simulation or logistics optimization. Hands-on work in research laboratories helps shorten the path from concept to applied solution. At the same time, industrial deployment will require not only higher qubit counts but also a mature software ecosystem and effective error-correction methods.
Retrospective and Global Context
In recent years, Russia has already reported 20- and 50-qubit systems on different platforms, including neutral atoms and ions, as part of a step-by-step scaling strategy. International leaders such as Google and IBM, as well as research teams in China, are also pushing qubit counts into the hundreds. As a result, competition now unfolds along two axes: scale and operational quality.
Russian results highlight architectural diversity. Ion-based platforms are valued for qubit stability, while neutral-atom systems are attractive for their scalability. Both approaches are being developed in parallel. This multipronged strategy increases the likelihood of identifying an optimal path toward practical applications.
Near-Term Outlook
Next steps will focus on technical advances: scaling beyond 100 qubits, improving error correction, and moving from laboratory experiments to cloud services for research and applied use. By 2028–2030, systems with more than 100 qubits and early examples of industrial use in niche tasks are expected to emerge.
At the same time, workforce development, software ecosystems, and security standards will need to evolve. Quantum platforms without supporting algorithms, libraries, and validated applications will remain purely scientific instruments. With such an ecosystem in place, however, they can become practical tools for engineering, pharmaceuticals, and logistics.
The successful control experiment of the 70-qubit prototype is a clear milestone, demonstrating tangible technical progress and confirming that Russia’s quantum computing roadmap is being implemented as planned.
