A new quantum computer called Helios has reached 98 qubits, and researchers say the milestone matters.
Helios was built by Quantinuum, a British-American company, according to Scientific American. The publication's coverage frames the machine as a significant step forward, headlining its report "Why this 98-qubit quantum computer is a big deal."
Qubits are the basic building blocks of a quantum computer, the equivalent of the bits that power an ordinary laptop or phone. As Scientific American explains, quantum computers harness quantum mechanics — the rules that govern how physics behaves at the smallest scales — to process information in ways conventional machines cannot. Together, the qubits form the Helios system.
The available reporting emphasizes the count itself: 98 qubits. Beyond confirming the machine's name, its maker, and the underlying reliance on quantum mechanics, the sources here do not detail specific benchmarks, applications, or performance comparisons, so those questions remain open in this coverage.
Why it matters: the number of qubits is one of the headline measures of a quantum computer's potential power, and Scientific American's framing signals that Quantinuum's Helios is being treated as a notable marker of progress in a field many expect to reshape computing.