IonQ and Synopsys report up to 14.6% simulation speedup

IonQ (NYSE: IONQ) published research conducted with Synopsys showing that integrating a quantum algorithm into mainstream engineering simulation software can reduce processing time for complex industrial design workloads by up to 14.6%.

The research was presented at IEEE Quantum Week 2026 in Toronto, where it received a first-place best paper award. It is one of nine IonQ papers accepted at the conference, held Sept. 13–18.

The study tested a hybrid quantum workflow embedded directly into Synopsys's Ansys LS-DYNA simulation software. The quantum algorithm was used to reorganize large systems of equations at the start of a simulation, replacing a traditional trial-and-error process. The team tested the approach on digital models of an automobile, an industrial drill component, a fluid impeller, and a jet engine assembly, using meshes of up to 35 million data points. Simulations were conducted on up to 150 qubits, with physical execution validated on IonQ's 36-qubit Forte trapped-ion quantum computer.

Across all models tested, runtime improvements ranged from at least 5.9% to a peak of 14.6%. According to the companies, a simulation that typically requires seven continuous days on a classical supercomputer would save approximately one full day of computing time.

"Engineering simulations for jet engines or automotive crash tests require extremely large classical compute clusters running for days at a time. By embedding an advanced quantum algorithm into the core workflow, we reduced total simulation times by up to 14.6 percent," said Dr. Martin Roetteler, IonQ's Vice President of Quantum Solutions and Technical Fellow and co-author of the paper.

Prith Banerjee, Senior Vice President of Innovation at Synopsys, said the two companies are working to advance hybrid simulation workloads, adding that the focus is on "achievable breakthroughs in the NISQ era" while preparing for fault-tolerant quantum computing.

The paper is titled "End-to-end Performance of Quantum-Accelerated Large-Scale Linear Algebra Workflows." The findings are based on a press release issued by IonQ.

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