Rigetti shakes up quantum computing with bold advance originally appeared on TheStreet.
Quantum computing is arguably entering its make-or-break era.
It’s no longer an experiment, with tech giants, startups, and national governments shelling out billions to crack problems traditional computers struggle with.
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Moreover, it’s not about who’s the loudest, but who’s the most consistent.
Progress is gauged in terms of qubits, fidelity gains, and architectures that don’t break. Naturally, once the hype settles, investors will separate the wheat from the chaff in the quantum computing space.
However, just as some thought momentum might stall, one quantum computing stock quietly surged, stunning everyone in the process.
Rigetti has achieved 99.5% median two-qubit gate fidelity on its modular 36-qubit quantum computing system.Steve Jennings/Getty Images
Quantum computing may sound like sci‑fi to many, but it’s already flipping the script on the world’s toughest problems.
By simultaneously harnessing qubits representing 0 and 1, algorithms that once took millennia can finish in seconds.
These qubits allow quantum computers to efficiently crunch far more possibilities at the same time.
It’s all thanks to crazy quantum effects like superposition and entanglement. The catch, though, is that they’re super sensitive.
Even the slightest of errors can wreck results. That’s exactly why gate fidelity comes in, which serves as a score of how clean and accurate each operation is.
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Greater fidelity means lower error rates and a more useful output. Lowering error rates also cuts through the need for heavy error correction, so you gain greater power from the same hardware.
Each jump in fidelity turns a theoretical promise into a practical possibility, reminding everyone how swiftly the quantum era is accelerating. And despite the early‑stage risks, the market is set for massive long-term expansion.
McKinsey’s latest quantum technology monitor forecasts the sector to hit $100 billion within a decade, led by hardware advances and quantum‑as‑a‑service models.
From supercharging drug‑discovery simulations to optimizing supply chains, quantum applications efficiently cover every corner of business and science.
Nonetheless, the challenges remain. Qubit stability, cryogenic cooling expenses, and error‑correction costs still pose a hurdle to widespread deployment.
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Every step forward in fidelity and architecture chips away at those barriers, though, bringing real quantum advantage even closer.
Rigetti Computing (RGTI) just gave its investors a new reason to pay attention.
It announced a head-turning 99.5% median two-qubit gate fidelity on its modular 36-qubit system, a critical step that cuts error rates by 50% compared to its earlier 84-qubit Ankaa-3 chip.
That 99.5% figure isn’t just a figure, but a key signal to the quantum space that Rigetti’s modular approach is working.
Wall Street got the message, with Rigetti stock jumping 30% Wednesday, trading at $16.56.
The breakthrough system is built on four 9-qubit “chiplets,” using Rigetti’s tailor-made modular chip architecture.
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It’s the company’s latest effort in developing larger and more robust quantum machines.
Rigetti is looking to launch the 36-qubit platform publicly on August 15.
That launch serves as both a product debut and validation as the company looks toward a more ambitious goal of a 100+ qubit modular system delivering the same high-fidelity performance.
A lot of it is about timing, too, as Rigetti previously set this mid-year milestone, and hitting its target boosts confidence in its 2025 roadmap.
If it can achieve a 100+ qubit platform by the end of next year, that’s likely to be a major leap in an industry where decoherence and error rates often slow real-world adoption. It would also help Rigetti close the performance gap with better-funded rivals like IBM and IonQ.
It also raises the stakes for commercial traction.
High-fidelity qubits are critical in running longer algorithms and solving critical problems that matter to enterprise users.
For now, Rigetti’s progress gives it new credibility in a race where results are now driving investor confidence.
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Rigetti shakes up quantum computing with bold advance first appeared on TheStreet on Jul 17, 2025
This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.