Rigetti Articulated A Credible Path To Quantum Advantage, Still A 'Buy'

We once looked forward to Y2K. Now, it’s Y2.3K (about 2030), also known as Quantum Advantage. That’s when we expect quantum computers, like the ones Rigetti Computing is working on, to really be ready for prime time. Different companies are pursuing different roadmaps to get there. They’re all working to maximize fidelity (accuracy) and also maximize speed, which makes fidelity harder to achieve. Within quantum, Rigetti’s superconducting protocol makes it the group’s speed demon. But it’s behind on fidelity, at 91%. The near-term goal is 99.5%, and ultimately, it’s aiming at 99.9%. RGTI knows where its challenge is. It’s working to lengthen the time its qubits retain their information (to postpone inevitable “decoherence”). RGTI, one of the quantum firms in which the U.S. will invest, is financially strong enough to succeed. I’m reiterating my 3- to 5- year “Buy” rating for the stock.

Many expected Y2K to be a big deal — and it was. Doomsayers forecasted catastrophe. Planes would fall out of the sky. Electricity would cease. Many were sure computers would crash because suddenly, we’d need four characters to denote a year rather than just