Google has unveiled a new Willow chip that specializes in quantum computing and can allegedly solve a problem in five minutes that would take the world’s fastest supercomputers ten septillion years to complete – or 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years.
This was reported by the BBC.
Google says its new quantum chip has “breakthroughs” and “paves the way for a useful, large-scale quantum computer.”
However, citing experts, the BBC notes that Willow is primarily an experimental device. This quantum computer will have the power to solve a wide range of real-world problems, which will still require years and financial investment.
Hartmut Neven, who heads Google’s Quantum AI lab, which created Willow, says it will be used for “some practical purposes” but does not provide any further details.
However, he said, a chip that can run commercial applications will not be available before the end of the decade. Initially, these applications will be simulations of systems where quantum effects are important.
Hartmut Neven says Willow is “the best quantum processor created today.”
Google chose the problem to use as a performance benchmark because it was “specifically designed for a quantum computer ” and did not demonstrate “universal acceleration over classical computers.”
Nevertheless, Willow represents a significant advance, particularly in error correction — the main problem with quantum technology is error-prone.
However, Google’s researchers say they have managed to change this situation by designing and programming a new chip so that the error rate in the entire system decreases with the number of qubits.
Mr. Neven believes this was a major “breakthrough” that overcame a key problem the industry has been looking for “for almost 30 years.”
Errors are a significant obstacle to building more powerful quantum computers, and Professor Woodward said this development was “encouraging for anyone seeking to build a practical quantum computer. ”
However, Google notes that the error rate still needs to be significantly lower to develop quantum computers that are practically as helpful as Willow’s.
Google’s chip must be stored at ultra-low temperatures to be effective.
Michael Cuthbert, director of the National Quantum Computing Center (NQCC), said he is wary of language that fuels a “hype cycle” and believes Willow is more of a “milestone than a breakthrough.”