IBM Quantum System Two at CSCS (Swiss Quantum Innovation Hub)

Raveh Neeman

doi:10.5281/zenodo.22674814

IBM with ETH Zurich (CSCS) and Lockheed Martin

IBM Quantum System Two at CSCS (Swiss Quantum Innovation Hub)

IBM with ETH Zurich (CSCS) and Lockheed Martin · superconducting circuits · ANNOUNCED (operational by end-2026 expected) (Sep 2026) · 120 physical qubits · access: hub access coordinated by ETH Zurich (not yet operational)

architecture: Transmon lattice with tunable couplers · Open on the map

Register profile — the machine's variant of its architecture

qubit type: transmon (IBM Nighthawk/Heron family)

gate mechanism: tunable-coupler two-qubit gates (218 tunable couplers on Nighthawk)

connectivity: square lattice, four nearest neighbours (Nighthawk)

control: modular qubit control electronics; classical runtime servers for hybrid workflows; high-density flex signal delivery (Heron stack)

control placement: room-temp (IBM System Two family)

readout: dispersive (family); high-speed reset on each qubit (Nighthawk r2)

flags: a target, not a device

Technologies by layer — the machine's cell per layer

1 Qubit carrier	Transmon · primary ◌ 🔎 120-qubit IBM Quantum Nighthawk r2 processor announced for Lugano; transmon carrier of the Nighthawk/Heron stack (not stated in the announcement)
2 Encoding	Bare physical qubit (no encoding) · primary ◌ 🔎 bare transmon two-level subspace (family-determined)
3 Gate mechanism	Tunable-coupler CZ / iSWAP · primary ▨ Nighthawk paragraph (120 qubits, 218 next-generation tunable couplers) ✅ Nighthawk: 120 qubits linked by 218 tunable couplers; r2 keeps the Heron coupler stack
4 Connectivity / transport	Static nearest-neighbour lattice · primary ▨ Nighthawk paragraph (four nearest neighbours in a square lattice) ✅ square lattice: each qubit coupled to its four nearest neighbours
5 Control	Room-temperature electronics + per-qubit coax/flex · primary ▦ Heron section (high-density flex cabling); Nighthawk section (Heron signal delivery) 🔎 modular qubit control electronics and classical runtime servers (hub); Heron-stack signal delivery by high-density flex cabling; room-temperature placement not stated
6 Readout	Dispersive microwave readout (+TWPA, Purcell) · primary ◌ 🔎 dispersive readout (family-determined) Fast unconditional / dissipative qubit reset · alternate ▦ Nighthawk section, r2 revision (September 2026) ✅ Nighthawk r2 adds a high-speed reset on each qubit, raising circuits per second (over 100,000 circuits/s quoted for the Lugano processor)
7 Code	— none — nothing in this layer ▨ 🔎 no QEC code announced for the Lugano system; circuits of up to 7,500 gates quoted for the processor
8 Decoder	— none — nothing in this layer ◌ 🔎 no decoder; no QEC announced
9 Interconnect	— none — nothing in this layer ◌ 🔎 one Nighthawk r2 processor announced; no inter-module link
10 Manufacturing	Superconducting-qubit lithography (Al/AlOx/Al junctions, Nb wiring, 300 mm) · primary ▨ fabrication paragraph (300 mm wafer facility, Albany NanoTech Complex) ✅ IBM processor wafers fabricated on a 300 mm line at NY Creates Albany NanoTech Complex (Nighthawk generation)

evidence: ✅ 4 / 11