Google has reasserted itself in the quantum computing race with the unveiling of its new Willow quantum processor, a chip the company claims is the most advanced ever created. The Willow chip successfully completed a highly complex mathematical computation in just five minutes – a task that would take today’s most powerful supercomputers an unimaginable 10 sextillion years (10 followed by 25 zeros), a span far exceeding the age of the universe.
One of the most significant advancements in Willow is its drastically reduced error rate compared to previous quantum processors. Not only are errors less frequent, but the system is now able to correct errors in real-time, a critical milestone in quantum computing evolution.
Understanding the quantum leap
Quantum computers represent the next generation of computing, leveraging the principles of quantum mechanics to perform calculations that are impossible for today's machines. This revolution is expected to have transformative applications in fields such as drug discovery, climate modeling and materials science, while also raising concerns about their potential to crack encryption protocols used in banking, intelligence and defense systems.
Quantum computers are exponentially more powerful than today’s classical supercomputers, and the global race to develop them includes dozens of companies and research institutions, including several based in Israel.
The competition spans a range of technologies for building quantum computers, such as:
- Superconducting circuits, pioneered by Google, IBM and others.
- Photonic technology, led by companies like Israel’s Quantum Source.
- Trapped-ion technology, developed by firms such as Israel’s Quantum Art.
The importance of qubits
A key measure of a quantum computer’s power is the number of qubits (quantum bits) it has. Unlike classical bits, which can represent either 0 or 1, qubits can represent an infinite range of values simultaneously, thanks to the principle of quantum superposition.
Willow boasts 105 qubits, while IBM recently unveiled a machine with 433 qubits, and Atom Computing currently holds the record with a quantum computer featuring 1,180 qubits. However, the number of qubits alone isn’t the sole determinant of performance.
The primary challenge in quantum computing remains error rates, which limit the duration and accuracy of computations. Google’s biggest breakthrough with Willow lies in its ability to correct errors dynamically during calculations. Remarkably, Google has also observed that error rates decrease as the number of qubits increases, marking an essential step forward in scalability.
IBM, in contrast, is tackling the error problem through a partnership with Israeli startup Qedma, which developed a software solution called QESEM (Quantum Error Suppression and Error Mitigation), which significantly reduces error rates during processing. This allows IBM’s quantum computers to perform more continuous and reliable calculations.
A decade in the making
Hartmut Neven, head of Google Quantum AI, described Willow as a breakthrough decades in the making. “The Willow chip is a central milestone in a journey that began over a decade ago. Our vision has been to build a large-scale, practical quantum computer capable of harnessing quantum mechanics – the 'operating system' of nature – to advance scientific research and address society’s greatest challenges.”
Neven acknowledged that, while Willow may have immediate applications, the full commercial deployment of quantum computers is unlikely to occur before the end of the decade.
Criticism and context
As with previous announcements, Google’s claims have faced scrutiny. Professor Alan Woodward from the University of Surrey told the BBC that, while Google’s achievement is impressive, it’s premature to call it a breakthrough based on a single tailored test. “The problem solved was specifically designed for a quantum computer,” he noted, adding that this doesn’t prove quantum machines will outperform supercomputers in every field.
Woodward predicted that quantum computers will complement classical computers, not replace them, a sentiment echoed by another British expert, who referred to Willow as an important milestone but not a definitive breakthrough.
Quantum rivalry
The competitive nature of quantum computing is nothing new. Five years ago, Google announced it had achieved "quantum supremacy," demonstrating that its quantum processor had performed a calculation in 200 seconds that would have taken a classical supercomputer 10,000 years. However, IBM, Google’s rival, later countered by showing that the same calculation could be completed on a classical supercomputer in just two and a half days with a different configuration.
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In its latest announcement, Google avoided the term "quantum supremacy," emphasizing that the results accounted for stricter definitions. The company claims that, under these more rigorous conditions, the Willow processor performed a five-minute calculation that would still take a supercomputer one billion years to complete.
While quantum computing is still in its infancy, Google’s Willow chip represents a critical step forward in overcoming some of the field’s most significant challenges, particularly error correction and scalability. As the race continues, quantum computing promises to revolutionize industries and address some of the world’s most complex problems –though it’s clear there remains a long journey ahead.
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