# Test-driving 1000 qubits

## TL;DR

This paper reviews methods for benchmarking and validating the quantum nature of large-scale quantum annealers with over 1000 qubits, discussing performance, error correction, and comparison to classical algorithms.

## Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of techniques and lessons learned in testing and benchmarking large quantum annealing devices since their inception.

## Key findings

- Insights into quantum benchmarking techniques
- Lessons on improving performance via error correction
- Guidelines for demonstrating quantum speedup

## Abstract

Quantum computing is no longer a nascent field. Programmable quantum annealing devices with more that 1000 qubits are commercially available. How does one know that a putative quantum annealing device is indeed quantum? How should one go about benchmarking its performance and compare it to classical algorithms? How can its performance be improved by error correction? In this contribution to the focus collection on "What would you do with 1000 qubits?", we review the work we and others have done in this area, since the first D-Wave quantum annealer with 108 qubits was made available to us. Some of the lessons we have learned will be useful when other quantum computing platforms reach a similar scale, and practitioners will attempt to demonstrate quantum speedup.