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Google’s new chip claims to solve a problem that not even a supercomputer could

Google continues to boast with its exploits, and now it has just announced its latest quantum processor, which they have called Willow. The technology giant states on its blog that this chip is distinguished from any other ever manufactured by essentially two factors: the first is its incredible speed in calculation tests, and the second is the way in which it exponentially reduces the errors it makes – something common. in quantum computers – as the number of qubits.

But what really draws attention is Google’s own statement: in its internal random circuit sampling (RCS) tests, which is considered the most difficult test that a computer can be subjected to. quantum computerWillow finished it in less than five minutes. To put this in perspective, Frontier, the most powerful supercomputer of 2024, would take 10 septillion years to perform the same calculation… that’s 1025 years, so it would be absurd and it is determined that it cannot be done in practice.

Willow, Google’s new quantum chip

As we mentioned a moment ago, the second factor that Google boasts with this chip is its ability to reduce the number of calculation errors made exponentially as the number of qubits increases. According to Google, this advance solves a key challenge in quantum error correction that the field has been trying to solve for more than 30 years. Google backs up these claims with a white paper titled “Quantum error correction below the surface code threshold.”

In its tests, Google has used increasingly larger qubit arrays, going from the typical grid of 3×3 encoded qubits to 5×5 and then to 7×7. In each of these “jumps”, the error rate was reduced by half, which is why they explain that the error rate is reduced exponentially.

Google claims to have manufactured Willow in its own Santa Barbara facility. The processor has 105 qubits, which may not seem like a big deal but really if it is as good as they say, it is normal for them to brag that “quality is better than quantity” in this case. And it’s true, producing a greater number of qubits would be of no use if they are producing a huge percentage of errors, right?

The tech giant says it will continue to work with Willow going forward to advance the quantum processor roadmap they have outlined, and they are quite optimistic because they say they hope to “enter the realm of algorithms that are beyond the reach.” of classic supercomputers and that are really useful for real-world problems.

These new Willow chips from Google have arrived just five years after the company claimed “quantum supremacy” when it launched its 54-qubit Sycamore processor. However, Sycamore turned out to be quite… controversial, to say the least, since IBM stepped in to contradict Google’s claims, but hey, that’s another story. We’ll see if IBM now comes to the fore to speak ill of Willow.

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