Key Specifications
Full Specifications
| Qubit Specs | |
| Physical Qubits | 120 qubits |
| Technology | Superconducting |
| Connectivity | Heavy Hex |
| Connectivity Degree | 3 neighbors |
| Gate Performance | |
| 1Q Gate Fidelity | 99.97% |
| 2Q Gate Fidelity | 99.50% |
| Readout Fidelity | 99.80% |
| 1Q Gate Time | 60 ns |
| 2Q Gate Time | 600 ns |
| Coherence | |
| T1 (Relaxation) | 350 µs |
| T2 (Dephasing) | 250 µs |
| Features | |
| Mid-Circuit Measurement | Yes |
| Classical Feedback | Yes |
| Dynamic Circuits | Yes |
| Error Mitigation | Available |
| Max Circuit Depth | 6,000 |
| Max Shots | 100,000 |
| System | |
| Cooling Method | dilution refrigerator |
| Operating Temp | 0.015 K |
| Native Gates | CZ, RZ, SX, X, MEASURE |
| SDK Compatibility | |
| Qiskit Qiskit Runtime OpenQASM 3 | |
Cloud Access & Pricing
| Platform | Model | Price | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBM Quantum ibm_nighthawk | Per Second | $1.60/sec Best value
min $0.0160/job
| Limited | Run on IBM |
| qBraid ibm_nighthawk | Credits | $1.60/sec
min $0.0160/job
| Limited | Run on qBraid |
Free tiers available:
IBM Quantum: Free access to select 127-qubit Eagle QPUs; 10 minutes/month on premium systems
qBraid: 300 qBraid credits on signup; credits can be used across multiple QPU backends
Recommended Use Cases
Combinatorial optimization problems including logistics, scheduling, and portfolio optimization.
Molecular simulation and energy level calculations for drug discovery and materials science.
Research into fault-tolerant quantum computation and quantum error correction codes.
About Superconducting Technology
Superconducting qubits are electrical circuits cooled to millikelvin temperatures where quantum effects dominate. They are fabricated using standard semiconductor lithography, making them highly scalable. Qubits are formed from Josephson junctions — non-linear inductors that create discrete energy levels. IBM, Google, and Rigetti lead commercial deployment of this technology.
Fast gate speeds (tens to hundreds of nanoseconds), mature fabrication technology using standard semiconductor processes, and strong industry investment make this the most commercially advanced platform.
Requires dilution refrigerators operating near absolute zero (~15 mK), leading to large physical footprints and high infrastructure costs. Qubits are sensitive to noise, limiting coherence times to microseconds-to-milliseconds range.
99.5–99.9% for 2-qubit gates
10–700 ns per gate
Compare IBM Nighthawk With Other QPUs
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to use IBM Nighthawk?
IBM Nighthawk is available on 2 cloud platforms. The most accessible pricing starts from $1.60/sec via IBM Quantum. Pricing models vary by platform and may include per-shot, per-second, or gate-based billing.
What is the gate fidelity of IBM Nighthawk?
IBM Nighthawk achieves 99.50% two-qubit gate fidelity and 99.97% single-qubit gate fidelity, with 99.80% readout fidelity. Higher fidelity means fewer errors per gate operation.
Which cloud platforms offer IBM Nighthawk?
IBM Nighthawk is available through: IBM Quantum, qBraid.
What qubit technology does IBM Nighthawk use?
IBM Nighthawk uses Superconducting qubit technology. Fast gate speeds (tens to hundreds of nanoseconds), mature fabrication technology using standard semiconductor processes, and strong industry investment make this the most commercially advanced platform. Operating temperature: ~15 mK (millikelvin).
What is the Quantum Volume of IBM Nighthawk?
IBM Nighthawk has a Quantum Volume of QV 512. Quantum Volume is a single-number benchmark that measures the overall capability of a quantum computer, accounting for qubit count, connectivity, gate fidelity, and crosstalk.
Looking for the right QPU for your project? Browse all comparisons →