John Bromels, The Motley Fool
Fri, May 1, 2026 astatine 9:15 AM CDT 4 min read
Quantum computing stocks person had a unsmooth six months. Major players similar IonQ (NYSE: IONQ) and D-Wave Quantum (NYSE: QBTS) saw their stock prices tumble much than 65% betwixt October 2025 and March 2026.
April, connected the different hand, has been fantastic for quantum stocks. D-Wave's shares are up 25% since April 1, and IonQ's shares person soared much than 50%!
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But adjacent with these gains, some IonQ and D-Wave are inactive trading much than 45% disconnected their October highs. Which of these quantum stocks looks similar the champion 1 to bargain connected the dip?
What IonQ does
Quantum computing is simply a pugnacious concern to measure due to the fact that quantum mechanics, rather frankly, doesn't marque a batch of sense. Luckily, we don't person to recognize quantum mechanics to comparison IonQ's and D-Wave's precise antithetic quantum machine systems.
IonQ is processing a much accepted "gate-model" quantum computer, successful which quantum particles that transportation accusation are fired done "gates" that impact them. Such a strategy is measured by a metric called "two-qubit gross fidelity," expressed arsenic a percentage.
In October, IonQ became the archetypal quantum computing institution to execute two-qubit gross fidelity of 99.99%. That whitethorn dependable truly good, but fixed the fig of computations required to tally adjacent a azygous analyzable equation, it's estimated that quantum computers volition apt request to execute fidelity of 99.99999% oregon adjacent higher to interruption into the mainstream. Classical computers could beryllium considered to person fidelity (accuracy) of practically 100%.
How D-Wave differs
Unlike IonQ, D-Wave builds quantum annealers that execute a precise circumstantial benignant of quantum computing. Quantum annealing is precise bully astatine problems similar uncovering optimal configurations of data, specified arsenic an optimal transportation way for a logistics company.
Quantum annealing is little close than gate-model quantum computing, but it tin beryllium overmuch faster and little expensive. That's because, erstwhile you're looking for the optimal solution from among millions of possibilities, you mightiness not request to precisely prime the No. 1 solution. For example, trying to find the optimal transportation way among 20 locations would springiness you much than 60 quadrillion possibilities. If you could adjacent prime 1 of the apical 1,000 options, you'd astir apt beryllium achieving near-optimal substance use.

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