06:37 AM EDT, 03/26/2026 (MT Newswires) -- IBM ( IBM ) said Thursday that its quantum computer successfully simulated the behavior of a real magnetic material with results that closely matched neutron scattering experiments.

The company said this marks a step toward using quantum systems as practical tools for scientific discovery.

IBM ( IBM ) said the work, conducted with researchers from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Purdue University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the University of Tennessee, showed that current quantum hardware can simulate properties of real materials that are difficult to model using classical computing methods alone.

In the study, scientists simulated the magnetic crystal KCuF3 and compared the results with neutron scattering experiments, it said.

The findings suggest quantum computers could help accelerate research into next-generation materials such as superconductors, batteries, and pharmaceuticals, it added.