IonQ Trapped-Ion Quantum Computers Now Available on Open Quantum
Access IonQ's trapped-ion quantum computers featuring all-to-all qubit connectivity, high gate fidelities, and coherence times measured in seconds.
IonQ builds trapped-ion quantum computers using ytterbium ions confined in electromagnetic traps. Their Forte systems provide high-performance quantum computing with 99.6% two-qubit gate fidelity and software-configurable qubit topology. These systems feature all-to-all connectivity, meaning any qubit can interact directly with any other without SWAP gate overhead, and coherence times measured in seconds rather than microseconds. This combination of high fidelity, full connectivity, and long coherence makes IonQ hardware well-suited for algorithms requiring dense qubit interaction, such as quantum chemistry simulations, optimization, and variational algorithms. Through Open Quantum, you can access IonQ Forte systems using the same unified API you use for Rigetti, IQM, and AQT backends, with $50 of free quantum compute every 90 days to start running circuits and comparing results across providers immediately.
About IonQ
IonQ was founded in 2015 by Chris Monroe and Jungsang Kim, building on decades of trapped-ion research at the University of Maryland and Duke University. Headquartered in College Park, Maryland, and publicly traded on the NYSE under the ticker IONQ, the company has positioned itself as the provider of the most accurate quantum computers available.
IonQ's trapped-ion approach uses ytterbium ions manipulated with laser pulses. This yields inherently identical qubits with coherence times of approximately 1,000 milliseconds, orders of magnitude longer than superconducting alternatives. The all-to-all connectivity means any qubit can interact with any other without the SWAP routing overhead that limits grid-connected architectures.
IonQ has demonstrated a world-record 99.99% two-qubit gate fidelity (October 2025) and is pursuing a networked quantum computing roadmap that envisions linking multiple ion-trap modules to scale beyond single-trap limits, targeting 256 qubits by 2026 and 10,000+ physical qubits by 2027.
All-to-All Connectivity
Any qubit can interact with any other qubit directly. No SWAP gates needed, dramatically reducing circuit depth for most algorithms.
High Gate Fidelities
99.6% two-qubit gate fidelity on Forte systems, with single-qubit fidelity of 99.95% and coherence times measured in seconds.
Enterprise Customers
AstraZeneca, Hyundai, Airbus, NVIDIA, and Ansys are among IonQ's active enterprise partners across drug discovery, optimization, and simulation.
IonQ Hardware on Open Quantum
| System | Qubits | 2Q Gate Fidelity | Connectivity | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forte-1 | 36 | 99.6% | All-to-all (full) | Commercial applications |
| Forte Enterprise | 36 | 99.6% | All-to-all (full) | Commercial applications |
| Aria-1 Sunset 2025 | 25 | 99.4% | All-to-all (full) | Replaced by Forte |
| Aria-2 Sunset 2025 | 25 | 99.4% | All-to-all (full) | Replaced by Forte |
All-to-All Connectivity Advantage
IonQ's trapped-ion architecture provides full connectivity between all qubits. In practical terms, this means a two-qubit gate between any pair of qubits is a native operation, with no SWAP overhead. For algorithms like QAOA, VQE, and quantum chemistry simulations that require heavy qubit interaction, all-to-all connectivity dramatically reduces circuit depth and the total number of gates, leading to higher-fidelity results.
Key Performance Highlights
- 99.6% two-qubit gate fidelity on Forte systems
- T2 coherence time: ~1,000 milliseconds (1 second)
- Single-qubit gate fidelity: 99.95%
- Software-configurable qubit topology (Forte)
Why Run on IonQ via Open Quantum?
Unified API
Access IonQ, Rigetti, AQT, and IQM hardware through a single SDK. No vendor-specific setup required.
No Vendor Lock-In
Write your circuit once and run it on any backend. Compare trapped-ion vs superconducting results on the same circuit.
Cross-Vendor Benchmarking
Compare IonQ's all-to-all trapped-ion results with Rigetti and IQM superconducting results side by side.
Free $50 of Compute
Every new Open Quantum account includes $50 of free quantum compute, refreshed every 90 days. Start running circuits on IonQ immediately.
Getting Started
Submit your first circuit to IonQ's trapped-ion hardware in minutes. Install the Open Quantum SDK, authenticate, and select the IonQ backend.
from openquantum_sdk.clients import SchedulerClient, JobSubmissionConfig
scheduler = SchedulerClient() # uses OPENQUANTUM_CLIENT_ID/SECRET env vars
config = JobSubmissionConfig(
backend_class_id="ionq:forte-1", # or "ionq:forte-ent"
name="Bell State on IonQ",
shots=100,
)
job = scheduler.submit_job(config, file_path="bell_state.qasm")
result = scheduler.download_job_output(job)$50 of Free Quantum Compute
Every new Open Quantum account includes $50 of free quantum compute credits, refreshed every 90 days. Run circuits on IonQ, Rigetti, AQT, and IQM hardware at no cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
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