# Achieve utility scale with Fire Opal on Qiskit Functions Unlock turnkey capabilities, speed, and performance with Fire Opal features natively deployed on IBM Quantum Platform 10X Deeper circuits 1,000X Reduced compute cost 1,000X Improved accuracy ## Fast track utility-scale applications with peak hardware performance across every run Fire Opal’s AI-driven error suppression and noise-aware solvers make it possible to run challenging problems and push the boundaries of what’s possible on quantum hardware. Now you can access the power of Fire Opal directly on IBM Quantum Platform with Qiskit Functions. [For algorithm development](/content/fire-opal/qiskit-functions#w-tabs-0-data-w-pane-0/index.html) [For optimization applications](/content/fire-opal/qiskit-functions#w-tabs-0-data-w-pane-1/index.html) ### Performance Management Function Achieve record-setting results at utility-scale. When running circuits with Fire Opal Performance Management, best-in-class, AI-driven error suppression techniques are applied automatically. The entire pipeline is algorithm-agnostic and fully configured. Title Successfully run circuits up to full-device scale with thousands of gates Title Apply to any algorithm with no settings or configuration Title Reduce compute time up to 1,000X by eliminating error-mitigation overhead. [View all](https://docs.quantum.ibm.com/guides/q-ctrl-performance-management) ### Optimization Solver Function Now you can successfully solve meaningful utility-scale optimization problems on real quantum hardware. Simply input the high-level problem definition, and the solver takes care of the rest. The workflow is noise-aware and leverages Fire Opal Performance Management under the hood. Title Solve high-value problems at full device scale (156 qubits) achieving 100% accuracy Title Save time with a fully packaged and configured hybrid solver Title Run any graph or cost function, untethered from device details or connectivity [View all](https://docs.quantum.ibm.com/guides/q-ctrl-optimization-solver) ### Getting started with 
Qiskit Functions is simple #### Contact Q-CTRL to get access [Fill out the form](https://form.typeform.com/to/uOAVDnGg) to try out either of Q-CTRL’s Qiskit Functions for free. #### Connect to the Qiskit Functions Catalog Import the `QiskitFunctionsCatalog` from the `qiskit-ibm-catalog` package. #### Authenticate with your IBM Quantum credentials No need to sign up or manage any other accounts. Simply use your IBM Quantum credentials. #### Run your utility-scale workload Use the Q-CTRL Functions via a single `.run` call to apply error suppression methods that enable performance at scale. ## Where to find Fire Opal [**Directly on Fire Opal Client** If you’re hardware agnostic or testing out different platforms, use Q-CTRL’s cloud service, Fire Opal. Learn more](https://fire.q-ctrl.com/signup) [**IBM Quantum Premium and Flex Plan** Users have access to Fire Opal through Qiskit Functions natively on IBM. Contact us](https://form.typeform.com/to/uOAVDnGg) [**IBM Pay-as-you-go customers** Access Q-CTRL performance management as part of your Pay-as-you-go plan. Get started](/content/q-ctrl-embedded/ibm-quantum/index.html) ## Powering record-breaking innovation across the industry Discover how researchers worldwide are leveraging our technology to push the boundaries of what's possible with quantum computing. [Q-CTRL research **Fast, accurate, high-resolution simulation of large-scale Fermi-Hubbard models on a digital quantum processor** Gavin S. Hartnett, Khadijeh Sona Najafi, Aleksei Khindanov, Haoran Liao, Michael Schutzman, Michael R. Hush, Michael J. Biercuk, and Yuval Baum arXiv Read the paper](https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.04025) [Q-CTRL research **Simulating the dynamics of an SU(2) matrix model on a trapped-ion quantum computer** Gavin S. Hartnett, Haoran Liao, Enrico Rinaldi arXiv Read the paper](https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.14094) [Community research **Constrained Quantum Optimization at Utility Scale: Application to the Knapsack Problem** Naeimeh Mohseni, Julien-Pierre Houle, Ibrahim Shehzad, Giorgio Cortiana, Corey O’Meara and Adam Bene Watts arXiv Read the paper](https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.00260) [Community research **Tensor-based phase difference estimation on time series analysis** Shu Kanno, Kenji Sugisaki, Rei Sakuma, Jumpei Kato, Hajime Nakamura, Naoki Yamamoto arXiv Read the paper](https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.15616) [Community research **Large circuit execution for NMR spectroscopy simulation on NISQ quantum hardware** Artemiy Burov, Julien Baglio, Clément Javerzac-Galy arXiv Read the paper](https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.14513) [Q-CTRL research **Practical protein-pocket hydration-site prediction for drug discovery on a quantum computer** Daniele Loco, Kisa Barkemeyer, Andre R. R. Carvalho, Jean-Philip Piquemal arXiv Read the paper](https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.08390) [Community research **Quantum spectroscopy of topological dynamics via a supersymmetric Hamiltonian** Hiroshi Yamauchi, Satoshi Kanno, Yuki Sato, Hiroyuki Tezuka, Yoshi-aki Shimada, Eriko Kaminishi, Naoki Yamamoto arXiv Read the paper](https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.23169v1) ## Frequently asked questions Can I try it for free? Yes, IBM Quantum Plan customers are eligible for a free trial of Qiskit Functions. Why use Qiskit Functions vs. Fire Opal? Use Qiskit Functions if you’re an IBM Quantum customer who wants a similar workflow and developer experience as Qiskit. Fire Opal is great for hardware-agnostic users who want a single interface to improve performance across multiple hardware providers. What’s the difference between Qiskit Functions and Fire Opal? The user interface and hosting model are different. Qiskit Functions are offered through IBM’s Qiskit Serverless package, and they are hosted and managed by IBM, which enables them to use IBM authentication. Fire Opal is a standalone Python package connected to a cloud service hosted and managed by Q-CTRL. Who can use it? IBM Quantum Premium and Flex Plan customers can access Fire Opal on Qiskit Functions directly on the platform.