April 16, 2026 by University of Innsbruck
Collected at: https://phys.org/news/2026-04-quantum-fourier-qubits-shattering-previous.html
The spin-off company ParityQC has implemented the largest quantum Fourier transform ever reported using an IBM quantum computer, thereby setting a new milestone on the path toward the industrial application of quantum computers. The quantum Fourier transform is a cornerstone algorithm with applications in cryptography, financial modeling, and materials science.
Innsbruck-based quantum architecture company ParityQC performed a quantum Fourier transform using 52 superconducting qubits on an IBM Heron quantum processor. This surpasses the previous record of 27 qubits, which was set two years ago using an ion-trap quantum computer. The results were published this week on the arXiv preprint server.
“This milestone was only possible through the synergy of IBM’s latest quantum hardware and the ParityQC Architecture, which unlocked an exponential improvement in efficiency,” say Wolfgang Lechner and Magdalena Hauser, Co-CEOs of ParityQC. “What we are witnessing is European quantum innovation taking a global lead in translating theoretical potential into real-world performance.”
Quantum Fourier transforms are considered a fundamental building block of many quantum algorithms, such as those used in cryptography, financial modeling, and materials science.
According to ParityQC, the key to the current performance boost lies in the so-called “Parity Twine” architecture: It significantly reduces the number of required gate operations and the circuit depth—and does so without using so-called SWAP gates, which are a major source of overhead and error on many hardware platforms. According to the company, the performance advantage scales exponentially with the number of qubits.
ParityQC was founded in 2019 as a spin-off of the University of Innsbruck and the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW). The company develops blueprints and operating software for scalable quantum computers and collaborates with hardware partners worldwide. The scientific groundwork is provided by Wolfgang Lechner’s research group at the Department of Theoretical Physics at the University of Innsbruck.
Publication details
Philipp Aumann et al, Demonstrating Record Fidelity for the Quantum Fourier Transform, arXiv (2026). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2604.12465
Journal information: arXiv
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