Progress, status, and prospects of superconducting qubits for quantum computing

Quantum computers have the potential to revolutionize information technology as we know it by solving certain relevant and interesting problems, using fundamentally fewer resources (number of computational steps) compared with even the fastest supercomputers. While critical aspects of quantum computing are being demonstrated in laboratories across the world, a fully functional and practical quantum computer is still many years away. It therefore becomes of great interest to discover applications of small-scale quantum computers which are the subject of current theoretical and experimental research. In order to facilitate access to small quantum computers, IBM recently announced the IBM Quantum Experience which provides access to a 5-qubit quantum processor as a stepping stone for the community as a whole to continue learning and discovering the full potential of quantum computing.