Alphabet has unveiled a new quantum computer capable of solving problems in five minutes that would take supercomputers around 10 septillion years to calculate. Google’s next challenge? Develop a practical application for this impressive theoretical power.
The computer, equipped with the new quantum chip Willowoutperformed the Frontier supercomputer in a benchmark test, solving in minutes what would have taken Frontier 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years – much longer than the age of the universe. This represents an exponential advance compared to the performance announced by Google five years ago, when it claimed to solve a problem in minutes that would take 10 thousand years.
Although the algorithm used in the test has no known practical application, Hartmut Neven, founder of Google Quantum AI, says it is a necessary milestone. “If you can’t overcome at least one problem, you won’t overcome useful problems either,” Neven said in an interview. Google plans to deliver a real application next year, something impossible for classical computers.
Governments, large technology companies and venture capitalists have already invested billions of dollars in quantum computing, attracted by the promise of commercial and military advances due to its speed millions of times faster than traditional computers.
However, quantum computers face operational challenges. Because they depend on subatomic particles, they need to work in controlled environments, with temperatures close to absolute zero, to avoid external interactions that increase calculation errors.
The Willow chip reduces these error rates, according to an article published in the magazine Nature. This makes it possible to build larger quantum computers, putting Google in a position to evaluate costs, according to Neven.
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The technology race includes different approaches. Google’s technology, based on superconducting qubits, is also used by competitors such as IBM and Amazon. Recently, Google invested in QuEra Computing Inc., which uses neutral atom qubits. A qubit is the basic unit of information in quantum computing.
“When we decide to scale, we want to make sure it is with the most promising technology. Our bet is on superconducting qubits,” said Neven. “But perhaps QuEra will show us that neutral atoms have advantages. Let’s watch.”
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