Google Makes Quantum Speed, Accuracy 'Breakthrough'

Google says it's created a processor that can complete a task in five minutes that would take existing supercomputers an effectively infinite time. But it will likely be five years before the processor is ready for commercial use and experts say Google's boasts are somewhat selective.

The Willow chip is Google's attempt at quantum computing, which is likely to be the next major advance in computing technology. In very simple terms, most traditional computers work by storing and processing data as 0s or 1s, represented by something physical (usually an electronic "gate" in a circuit) that can exist in one of two states, corresponding to the 0 or 1.

Quantum computing takes advantage of quantum physics, where the same thing can exist in more than one state at a time. The computing version aims to use a "qubit" that can represent both a 0 and a 1 at the same time, depending.

This makes it faster for some tasks and dramatically improves a computer's ability to perform tasks that involve exploring multiple options and possibilities at once rather than one after another in sequential order.

Error Reduction

Google says Willow has now achieved two major milestones. One involves a known problem with quantum computing: it's subject to errors from physical disturbances and requires error correction to make it useful. For example, adding more qubits to increase a processor's capacity usually results in increased error rates. Google says Willow can actually reduce errors more as the chip uses more qubits. (Source: blog.google)

Secondly, Google says Willow has now performed a benchmark computation (a standardized task designed to test computer speed) in five minutes. That compares to traditional supercomputers which would theoretically take 10 septillion years. To put that into perspective, a septillion years is one trillion trillion years. In terms of how big that is: it's estimated that the Earth has been around for 13.7 billion years or 0.0000000000000137 septillion years. Imagine that!

Chilling Out

A computing professor recently told the BBC that the benchmarks could be misleading as this was just one example that happens to be particularly suited to quantum computers. Alan Woodward said the error correction was arguably the more significant development. (Source: bbc.co.uk)

To make Willow suitable for real-world use, Google will need to reduce the error rate even further. It will also need to make it viable at room temperature as it currently has to operate in controlled cold conditions of absolute zero, which is -273.15 degrees Celsius or -459.67 degrees Fahrenheit. Google says its confident of overcoming these challenges to make a commercial system by the end of the decade.

What's Your Opinion?

Can you wrap your head around quantum computing? Would significantly faster computing make a real difference to technology? What would you want computers to do if they had no significant restrictions on speed or capacity?