Computing firm Quantinuum has provided the hardware for many outstanding feats in quantum computing over the past few years. It looks like that winning streak will continue with its latest model, Helios —which, as of today, is the most powerful quantum computer in the world.

This is a big deal, as it showcases that hybrid computing is closer than many investors realize. With Nvidia capitalizing on the massive AI spending spree, it's able to benefit from the two biggest computing trends of our time, making it a no-brainer stock to invest in right now.

A research team at the Jülich Supercomputing Center, together with experts from NVIDIA, has set a new record in quantum simulation: for the first time, a universal quantum computer with 50 qubits has been fully simulated—a feat achieved on Europe's first exascale supercomputer,

The algorithms could also benefit AI by generating large, diverse datasets to train models or by enabling quantum-enhanced machine learning, says Adam Lewis, the head of innovation at SandboxAQ, a Google spin-off that works on AI and quantum software.

Quantum computing pure-play stocks IonQ, Rigetti Computing, D-Wave Quantum, and Quantum Computing Inc. have soared between 260% and 2,710% over the trailing year. By one estimate, quantum computers can create $450 billion to $850 billion in global economic value by 2040, which partially explains the hype behind these stocks.

Researchers have demonstrated that the theoretically optimal scaling for magic state distillation—a critical bottleneck in fault-tolerant quantum computing—is achievable for qubits, improving on the previous best result by reaching a scaling exponent of exactly zero.

Quantinuum has unveiled a third-generation quantum computer that could be easier to scale up than rival approaches.

In addition to launching Nighthawk, IBM also announced its Quantum Loon chip, an experimental processor that will not be made publicly available, but the company said it will be the driving force behind IBM's efforts to deliver the world’s first large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer by 2029.