Upstart Ions Versus Old Guard Superconductors in Quantum Computing

(Forbes.com) There is much work to be done before a universal fault-tolerant quantum computer is available. The long-term viability of superconducting qubit and trapped ion qubit technology looks good. Author Paul Smith-Goodson delivers an overview of quantum technology and segues into the kinds of quantum technologies currently under development: superconducting qubits, spin qubit & trapped ions.
The tech giants, IBM, Google, all have staked out their quantum computing claims with superconducting qubits.
It’s worth noting that Intel is not dependent on superconducting qubits. It is also investigating another qubit technology that operates in silicon, called spin qubit. One reason for Intel’s interest in spin qubits is because it is another technology that can leverage Intel’s vast experience in silicon manufacturing.
Rigetti Computing, a recent but impressive California start-up, also uses superconducting qubits.
IonQ, Alpine Quantum Technologies (Austria), and Honeywell all use trapped ion technology. However, IonQ is its driving force. IonQ was founded in 2015 by Christopher Monroe and Jungsang Kim. Trapped ion technology isn’t a radically new concept. It’s used to make some of the most accurate atomic clocks in the world. There are many advantages to trapped ion qubits. Compared to superconducting qubits, they need less overhead for error correction.