IBM Cracks Fusion Energy Code with Quantum Computing Breakthrough

IBM has made a significant breakthrough in fusion energy research using quantum computing. In collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Cleveland Clinic, IBM discovered a new method to model how fusion plants can produce and recover tritium, a rare and radioactive fuel. Tritium is essential for fusion reactions but is challenging to capture and reuse due to its 12-year half-life.

The team used classical computers for simpler modeling and relied on IBM's quantum hardware to determine the nine specific molecular configurations of a molten salt called FLiBe (fluorine, lithium, and beryllium). This helped them model how the molten salt behaves with and without tritium. The breakthrough is seen as a crucial step towards commercializing fusion energy, which has a lower risk of meltdown and environmental footprint compared to nuclear fission.

Fusion plants are still in the experimental phase, but IBM's quantum computing has opened up new possibilities for scientists. In May 2026, IBM announced that researchers used quantum computing to model how drug-like molecules attach to proteins in water, similar to reactions within the human body. This could provide pharmaceutical developers with a more efficient way to predict which molecules are worth testing before lab work.