The Quantum Computing Race Is Heating Up: The Top 3 Stocks to Buy Right Now

Quantum computing has the potential to be the next big game-changing technology after artificial intelligence (AI), and the race is on for companies to develop and commercialize a fault-tolerant system. It's a potential breakthrough technology that could help create the next round of tech giants.

While many companies are pursuing quantum computing, a few stand out above the rest. These companies are ahead of the pack largely because of their technology leadership. One of the first big obstacles with quantum computing that needs to be overcome is accuracy.

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Because quantum computers use qubits rather than classical fixed bits, they are very sensitive to external factors, such as vibrations and temperature changes, that can throw them off and cause errors. In the world of computing, being correct 99% of the time over billions of calculations is extremely error-prone and not usable at scale. Quantum hardware will likely never be 100% perfect on its own, but it doesn't have to be. To work reliably, quantum computers need fault tolerance, a built-in safety net that constantly catches and corrects hardware errors as they occur, yielding virtually 100% accurate results.

Here are the three quantum stocks that are ahead of the pack in achieving a fault-tolerant quantum system that could change everything.

IonQ

When it comes to quantum computing accuracy, IonQ (NYSE: IONQ) is the current leader. Its trapped ion approach starts with actual atoms, which are identical in nature and thus more stable. However, instead of entirely relying on complex lasers, the company has embedded microwave antennas directly into its chips to control the qubits electronically and improve stability. The result is that IonQ has achieved 99.99% two-qubit gate fidelity (accuracy), the top mark on any public company.

However, IonQ has not stopped there, and it is looking to control the entire quantum ecosystem. It has made acquisitions in several related areas, including quantum networking, transmission, and sensing. Its most important deal to date, though, could be its acquisition of quantum foundry SkyWater to become completely vertically integrated. By having its own foundry, IonQ should be able to advance prototypes more quickly and eventually use it to scale its systems.

Given this, IonQ is the quantum stock to beat.

Quantinuum

Similar to IonQ, Quantinuum (NASDAQ: QNT) also takes a trapped-ion approach, but it has eschewed the use of microwave antennas, claiming that microwave gates are too slow and that attempts to speed them up increase power consumption excessively. The company has achieved 99.92% 2-qubit gate fidelity with its systems, which trails IonQ, but it is looking for its new Sol system to reach 99.999% logical fidelity in 2027. That would be a major achievement.

The Honeywell-backed company is also highly regarded for its leadership in quantum software. It has developed an open-source quantum computing language called Guppy that manages advanced error correction directly in the code. Meanwhile, its TKET quantum software development kit acts as a universal translator, and its Nexus platform brings everything together in a cloud-based operating system.

If there is a company set to beat IonQ to the punch, it is Quantinuum.

Infleqtion

Infleqtion (NYSE: INFQ) doesn't yet have the accuracy metrics of IonQ or Quantinuum, but its neutral-atom approach is intriguing. Similar to the trapped-ion technique, it uses individual atoms suspended in a vacuum that are controlled by lasers. However, it keeps the atoms uncharged, so that they don't repel one another. This, in turn, lets it attain higher qubit density and could make the technology more scalable than the trapped-ion approach.

The goal is to create a system with comparable accuracy to trapped-ion systems with faster speeds. It reached 99.73% 2-gate fidelity in 2024 and is expected to reach 99.9% this year.

If Infleqtion can catch up in fidelity metrics, its speed advantages could put it in the driver's seat.

Geoffrey Seiler has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Honeywell Technologies and IonQ. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.