Amazon and QuEra are aiming for useful quantum error correction by 2028, a significant milestone in quantum computing. (Illustrative AI-generated image).
At a Glance
Quantum computing has long promised to solve problems that would take today's best supercomputers thousands of years. But there's always been a catch: the machines are too error-prone to be truly useful. Now, Amazon and a startup called QuEra say they can fix that by…
- The 2028 Promise: Too Good to Be True?
- What Is Quantum Error Correction, Really?
- How Logical Qubits Work (In Plain English)
- Why 2028 Is 'Remarkably Soon'
- Other Quantum News This Summer
Quantum computing has long promised to solve problems that would take today’s best supercomputers thousands of years. But there’s always been a catch: the machines are too error-prone to be truly useful. Now, Amazon and a startup called QuEra say they can fix that by 2028. That’s years ahead of what most experts expect.
Many researchers in the field have said that useful quantum computers are still five to ten years away. A few simple algorithms might run on today’s noisy hardware, but the really exciting applications, like designing new drugs or cracking complex codes, need error correction. Without it, quantum computers make too many mistakes to be reliable.
So when Amazon and QuEra announced in June 2026 that they plan to deliver useful error correction by 2028, it caught a lot of attention. The promise sounds bold. Is it realistic? Let’s break down what they’re actually saying and whether the timeline holds up.
The 2028 Promise: Too Good to Be True?
Here’s the headline: Amazon and QuEra say they will have a quantum computer with enough error correction to do something useful by 2028. That’s not just a lab experiment. They mean a machine that can run algorithms that matter to business or science.
Right now, quantum computers are in what experts call the NISQ era: Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum. That’s a fancy way of saying the machines have a decent number of qubits, the basic units of quantum information, but they’re very noisy. Errors creep in from heat, vibrations, and other environmental factors. The more qubits you add, the more errors you get. It’s like trying to have a conversation in a room full of people shouting. You can hear something, but it’s hard to understand the message.
Error correction is the fix. It uses extra qubits to check and fix errors without disturbing the actual computation. The idea has been around for decades, but building enough qubits to make it work has been extremely hard. Most companies in the field, including Google and IBM, have said we need at least a few hundred or even thousands of physical qubits to create one reliable logical qubit. Scaling that up to a useful machine could take until the 2030s.
QuEra and Amazon are saying they can speed that up. Their approach uses neutral atoms, which are individual atoms trapped by lasers, to build qubits. This is different from the superconducting circuits used by Google and IBM, or the trapped ions used by IonQ. Neutral atoms may be easier to scale and connect, according to QuEra’s research. But the company hasn’t released full details of how they’ll reach 2028. The promise is based on a roadmap, not a finished product.
Some experts are skeptical. They point out that every quantum computing company has made ambitious promises before, and many have slipped. But QuEra has already demonstrated key steps, like creating logical qubits with neutral atoms in a lab. That gives the 2028 target some credibility.
What Is Quantum Error Correction, Really?
To understand why 2028 is a big deal, you need to know what error correction does. In a normal computer, bits are either 0 or 1. They’re very reliable. If you flip a switch, it stays flipped. But a quantum bit, or qubit, can be 0, 1, or both at the same time, thanks to a property called superposition. That’s what gives quantum computers their power. But it also makes them fragile.
Any tiny disturbance, like a stray magnetic field or a passing cosmic ray, can flip a qubit’s state. That introduces an error. And because qubits are so delicate, errors happen all the time. In today’s machines, you might get an error in every few hundred operations. For useful computations, you need an error in every trillion operations or better. That’s a huge gap.
Error correction bridges that gap. It doesn’t prevent errors. Instead, it detects them and fixes them on the fly. Think of it like having a safety net for quantum data. You store the same information across multiple qubits, so if one qubit fails, the others still hold the correct value. Then you measure some of the helper qubits to see if an error happened, and you correct it. This is called a logical qubit.
The catch is that you need many physical qubits to make one logical qubit. The exact number depends on the error rate of the physical qubits. If your physical qubits are very good, you might only need 10 or 20 to make a reliable logical qubit. If they’re noisy, you might need thousands. QuEra claims its neutral atoms have very low error rates, so they can get away with fewer qubits per logical qubit. That’s key to reaching 2028.
How Logical Qubits Work (In Plain English)
Let’s use an analogy. Imagine you’re trying to remember a phone number. You could write it on a piece of paper, but if the paper gets lost, you’re stuck. So you write the same number on three pieces of paper and give them to three friends. If one friend loses their paper, you can still get the number from the other two. That’s redundancy.
Now imagine you also ask each friend to check the other friends’ papers every few minutes to make sure they still match. If one paper gets smudged, the friends notice and rewrite it correctly. That’s error detection and correction.
In a quantum computer, the physical qubits are like the pieces of paper. A logical qubit is the group of qubits that work together to store one bit of quantum information reliably. The computer constantly checks the helper qubits to see if any errors occurred and applies fix-up operations. This process uses extra qubits and time, but it makes the computation much more reliable.
To run a useful algorithm, you need many logical qubits working together. Each logical qubit might require dozens or hundreds of physical qubits. So a machine with 100 logical qubits could need 10,000 physical qubits or more. QuEra’s roadmap says they can reach 100 logical qubits by 2028 using their neutral atom technology. That would be enough to run some early useful algorithms, like simulating molecules for drug discovery or optimizing supply chains.
Why 2028 Is ‘Remarkably Soon’
Ars Technica described the 2028 target as “remarkably soon.” That’s because most experts in the field expect the first useful error-corrected quantum computers to arrive between 2030 and 2035. The 2028 date pushes that forward by several years.
Why is it so hard? Building a quantum computer is not just about making qubits. You need to control them precisely, connect them in ways that allow error correction, and keep everything extremely cold or isolated. For neutral atoms, you need lasers that trap individual atoms and manipulate their quantum states. That’s incredibly delicate engineering.
QuEra has been working on neutral atom quantum computing for years. They’ve already built machines with hundreds of qubits. In 2025, they demonstrated a logical qubit that could correct errors better than the physical qubits alone. That was a milestone. Now they need to scale that up to dozens or hundreds of logical qubits while keeping error rates low.
Amazon is involved through its AWS cloud division. Amazon provides funding and access to its engineering resources. The company has a quantum computing service called Amazon Braket, where customers can run experiments on quantum hardware from different providers, including QuEra. So Amazon has a direct interest in seeing QuEra succeed.
The 2028 promise also comes with a caveat. QuEra says they will have “useful” error correction by then. That doesn’t mean a full-scale quantum computer that can solve any problem. It means a machine that can do something that is hard for classical computers and that has practical value, like simulating a small molecule. That’s a lower bar than general-purpose quantum computing. Still, if they hit that target, it would be a huge step forward.
Other Quantum News This Summer
The Amazon/QuEra announcement was part of a wave of quantum computing updates in June 2026. Other companies also shared progress.
One update involved trapped ion processors. These machines use individual ions (charged atoms) held in place by electromagnetic fields. Companies like IonQ and Honeywell have been working on this approach for years. In June 2026, they announced an improved processor with lower error rates and better connectivity between qubits. That’s incremental progress, but it shows the field is moving forward.
Another story was about quantum supremacy claims being scaled back. A few years ago, Google claimed to have achieved quantum supremacy, meaning their quantum computer solved a problem faster than any classical computer could. But since then, classical algorithms have improved. Researchers found ways to solve the same problem more efficiently on classical machines, reducing the gap. In June 2026, some of those original claims were revised. That’s a reminder that quantum computing is not a one-way street. Classical computing is also advancing, and the competition keeps everyone honest.
These updates show that the quantum computing landscape is active. Companies are making progress on different fronts. The QuEra announcement stands out because of its aggressive timeline, but it’s not the only story.
What This Means for Investors
The quantum computing sector has attracted significant investment in recent years. The U.S. News list of best quantum computing stocks to buy in 2026 reflects that interest. Investors are looking for companies that can turn quantum research into real revenue.
If QuEra and Amazon deliver on their 2028 promise, it could accelerate the entire industry. Early useful quantum computers would open up new markets for quantum software, cloud services, and hardware. Companies that are positioned to offer quantum solutions, like IBM, Google, IonQ, and Rigetti, would all benefit from the validation of the technology.
But investors should be cautious. The 2028 timeline is ambitious. Many experts doubt it can be met. Even if QuEra succeeds, the first useful machines will be limited in what they can do. They won’t replace classical computers overnight. The quantum computing market is expected to grow, but it will take years to become mainstream.
For now, the announcement is a positive signal that the technology is progressing faster than some expected. It could boost confidence in the sector and attract more investment. But investors should watch for specific milestones: Can QuEra demonstrate a logical qubit with low error rates? Can they scale to 10 logical qubits, then 100? Each step will be closely watched.
The Road Ahead: Hurdles and Hope
Despite the excitement, there are major challenges ahead. The biggest is scaling. QuEra needs to go from a few logical qubits in the lab to hundreds in a reliable machine. That requires building larger arrays of neutral atoms, improving laser control, and reducing errors from all sources.
Another challenge is connectivity. Logical qubits need to talk to each other to perform algorithms. That means linking groups of physical qubits across the chip. Neutral atoms can be moved around with lasers, which gives them an advantage over fixed qubits, but moving atoms introduces new sources of error.
Then there’s the software. Even if the hardware works, you need algorithms that can take advantage of error-corrected qubits. Researchers are developing new quantum algorithms, but many are still theoretical. The first useful applications will likely be in chemistry and materials science, where quantum computers can simulate molecules that classical computers find too complex.
Finally, there’s competition. Other companies are not standing still. Google has its own roadmap for error correction, aiming for a useful quantum computer by 2029. IBM plans to have a 1,000-qubit machine by 2025, though that’s without full error correction. The race is on.
So what should we watch for in the next two years? Look for QuEra to publish results showing logical qubits with error rates low enough to allow scaling. Look for demonstrations of small algorithms, like simulating a simple molecule. And look for Amazon to integrate QuEra’s hardware into its Braket service, making it available to customers. If those things happen, the 2028 target starts to look more realistic.
For now, the promise is exciting but unproven. Quantum computing has a history of bold predictions that didn’t pan out. But the field is also making real progress. The 2028 date is a bet that the pace of improvement can accelerate. Whether it’s too good to be true or just early, only time will tell. What’s clear is that the next few years will be critical for quantum computing. If QuEra succeeds, it could change the timeline for the entire industry. If not, the world will wait a little longer for the quantum revolution.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Amazon and QuEra's main promise regarding quantum computing?
Amazon and QuEra promise to deliver a quantum computer with effective error correction that can perform useful tasks by the year 2028. This is significantly earlier than many experts currently predict.
Why is error correction so important for quantum computers?
Quantum computers are very prone to errors due to the delicate nature of qubits. Error correction is crucial because it detects and fixes these errors, making the computations reliable enough for practical applications.
What is the NISQ era in quantum computing?
The NISQ era refers to current quantum computers that have a moderate number of qubits but are still too 'noisy' or error-prone for complex tasks. These machines are in an intermediate stage of development.
How does Amazon and QuEra's approach differ from others like Google and IBM?
Amazon and QuEra use neutral atoms trapped by lasers to build qubits. This is different from companies like Google and IBM, which use superconducting circuits or trapped ions.
What is a logical qubit and how does it relate to physical qubits?
A logical qubit is a single, reliable unit of quantum information created by using multiple physical qubits. These extra physical qubits work together to detect and correct errors, essentially forming a 'safety net' for the data.
What is the main challenge in creating logical qubits?
The main challenge is that it requires a significant number of physical qubits to create just one reliable logical qubit. The exact number depends on how error-prone the physical qubits are.
What makes QuEra's neutral atom approach potentially advantageous?
QuEra's research suggests that neutral atoms may be easier to scale and connect compared to other qubit technologies. They also claim their neutral atoms have very low error rates, requiring fewer physical qubits per logical qubit.
