Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Explore the podcast → ibm.com/think/podcasts/the-coherence-times
It wasn’t so long ago that quantum computers were obscure, highly experimental devices available only to researchers and students working out of university research labs. That changed in 2016, when IBM put the first superconducting quantum processor in the cloud and made it freely accessible to anyone with an internet connection—kickstarting a new era of quantum computing development. In this Coherence Times episode, we explore the history that led IBM to settle on superconductors as its quantum architecture of choice, and that resulted in the advent of cloud-based quantum computing. Along the way, you’ll learn about the alternative approaches that preceded the IBM shift to superconductors, and discover what’s coming next for superconducting hardware.
00:00 – Introduction
3:30 – Starting from the ground state
9:46 – Building the first qubits
35:36 – Quantum on the cloud
42:11 – Pushing forward
The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity.
Explore the podcast → ibm.com/think/podcasts/the-coherence-times
It wasn’t so long ago that quantum computers were obscure, highly experimental devices available only to researchers and students working out of university research labs. That changed in 2016, when IBM put the first superconducting quantum processor in the cloud and made it freely accessible to anyone with an internet connection—kickstarting a new era of quantum computing development. In this Coherence Times episode, we explore the history that led IBM to settle on superconductors as its quantum architecture of choice, and that resulted in the advent of cloud-based quantum computing. Along the way, you’ll learn about the alternative approaches that preceded the IBM shift to superconductors, and discover what’s coming next for superconducting hardware.
00:00 – Introduction
3:30 – Starting from the ground state
9:46 – Building the first qubits
35:36 – Quantum on the cloud
42:11 – Pushing forward
The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity.
