Benchmark: Algorithmic qubits (#AQ)

Benchmarks / Application level (algorithms and use cases)

A single number N: the largest box of width N qubits and depth N^2 two-qubit gates in which every circuit of a set of QED-C-derived benchmarks succeeds.

Level: Application level (algorithms and use cases)
Maintained by: IonQ (company page, version 1.0).
European: No
Reference: https://ionq.com/resources/algorithmic-qubits-a-better-single-number-metric

How it is measured

Circuits from several QED-C algorithms (excluding those without entanglement) are run; a circuit passes when its classical fidelity, minus its statistical error, exceeds 1/e; error mitigation must be reported.

Limitations and criticisms

Defined and reported by one vendor; the vendor itself notes that one number cannot capture every nuance.
Results may include error mitigation (debiasing).

Used in European procurements

None of the procurement documents read for this release names it.

Sources

IonQ (2025). Algorithmic Qubits: A Better Single-Number Metric. IonQ resources page (last updated 23 January 2025). Read: company page, retrieved 2026-10-23.