China has launched a new quantum computing cloud platform that gives researchers access to perform complex computational tasks and enables the general public to experience quantum computing.

The platform was unveiled at the ongoing 2023 Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing by the Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Sciences (BAQIS), the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Tsinghua University.

The developers said the platform combines the quantum computing capabilities of three superconducting quantum chips, which have 136, 18, and 10 qubits respectively. These chips can be located up to 30 miles apart.

According to BAQIS, since its launch for testing in November last year, the platform has been used by over 2,000 users from China and overseas. Collectively, these users have successfully executed quantum computing tasks over 500,000 times. Research teams have also accessed the quantum computing platform remotely for scientific research and to create application software.

The new platform joins China's other quantum computing cloud platform, Quantum Cloud Services (QCloud). QCloud provides a cloud-based environment for researchers, developers, and organizations to explore and experiment with quantum computing technologies. Created by Alibaba Cloud, QCloud offers access to quantum computing resources, including quantum simulators and quantum hardware, allowing users to conduct quantum algorithm development and testing.

This article first appeared on IoT World Today's sister site, Enter Quantum.