Google announced this Monday (8) Willow, a next-generation quantum chip that promises to significantly advance the field of quantum computing.
In a historic milestone, the new chip performed a calculation in less than five minutes — something that would take the most advanced supercomputers more than 10 septillion years to complete.
The impressive number far exceeds the estimated age of the universe, reinforcing the transformative potential of quantum technology.
Exponential error reduction: the challenge overcome
One of Willow’s main achievements is its ability to exponentially reduce errors by increasing the number of qubits, a problem that researchers have been trying to solve since 1995.
Known as “below error threshold”, the method represents a vital advance in quantum error correction. This means that, unlike previous systems, adding more qubits does not result in a proportional increase in errors, but rather in their reduction.
Google achieved this milestone by implementing a holistic strategy that combines advances in chip architecture, logic gate development and integration of real-time correction mechanisms.
It’s worth remembering that Willow was designed and manufactured in a state-of-the-art facility in Santa Barbara dedicated exclusively to creating high-quality quantum chips.
A leap of 10 septillion years in 5 minutes
One of the biggest indicators of Willow’s performance is the Random Circuit Sampling (RCS) benchmark, considered the most challenging test for quantum computers today. The RCS assesses whether a quantum computer can perform calculations that would be unfeasible on a classical computer.
For the record, 10 septillion is an astronomical number, represented as 10⁺²⁵. In simpler terms, it is equivalent to: 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (10 followed by 24 zeros).
During testing, Willow completed a calculation in less than five minutes that would take one of the world’s fastest supercomputers about 10 septillion years to solve — a number that vastly exceeds the age of the universe.
The result also suggests that quantum processors operate in “parallel universes” by performing calculations simultaneously, an idea proposed by David Deutsch in his theories about the multiverse.
While science is still exploring this theory, Willow’s performance provides a glimpse of what’s possible when we transcend the limits of classical computing.
Willow System Metrics
| Metric | Chip 1 | Chip 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Number of qubits | 105 | – |
| Average connectivity | 3.47 (typical 4-way) | – |
| Error in 1-qubit gate | 0,035% ± 0,029% | 0,036% ± 0,013% |
| Erro brings me 2 qubits | 0,33% ± 0,18% | 0,14% ± 0,052% |
| Measurement error | 0,77% ± 0,21% | 0,67% ± 0,51% |
| Reset Options | Multi-level reset | Multi-level reset |
| (state 1 or above) | (state 1 or above) | |
| Leak removal (state 2) | Leak removal (state 2) | |
| Time T₁ (average) | 68 µs ± 13 µs | 98 µs ± 32 µs |
| Error correction cycles per second | 909.000 | – |
| Circuit repetitions per second | – | 63.000 |
| Application performance (λ₃,₅,₇) | 2,14 ± 0,02 | – |
| XEB Fidelity Depth | – | 0,1% |
| Time estimation on Willow versus classical supercomputer | 5 minutes vs. 10¹⁰²⁵ years | – |
Global impacts and ecosystem integration
Willow’s advances come in a global context of innovations in the area of quantum computing.
Recently, Chinese scientists declared that they had managed to break RSA encryption using a quantum system, demonstrating the vulnerability of traditional technologies to quantum power.
At the same time, NVIDIA has invested in collaboration with Google to simulate quantum devices, accelerating the development of quantum CPUs in the near future.
Another relevant initiative was the opening of a factory in Milan to produce glass-based photonic chips, which can complement quantum systems such as Willow and further expand their potential.
The future of quantum computing
Willow has 105 qubits, combined with significant advances in benchmarks such as Random Circuit Sampling (RCS). In a standard experiment, Willow was able to outperform one of the world’s most advanced supercomputers, Frontier, demonstrating unparalleled performance.
Such advances pave the way for practical applications in several areas, such as the discovery of new medicines, the design of more efficient batteries and research into nuclear fusion.
Quantum computing also has the potential to revolutionize artificial intelligence, accelerating the training of complex models and enabling simulations impossible for classical computers.
Google is advancing democratizing access to quantum computing by creating educational courses, open source tools, and collaborating with scientists around the world.
Roadmap to quantum computing
Google has laid out a clear roadmap for advancing quantum computing, with six key milestones in the progress needed to build a fully functional large-scale quantum computer. These milestones include:
- Beyond the classic: surpass the performance of classical computers in specific tasks using quantum processors.
- Correction of quantum errors: implement efficient mechanisms to exponentially reduce errors with the increase in qubits.
- Building long-lasting logic qubits: developing computational units that combine multiple physical qubits to form stable logical qubits.
- Creation of quantum logic gates: Improve the operation of logic gates essential for complex calculations.
- Engineering at scale: Expand chip manufacturing to produce larger, more robust devices.
- Quantum computer with large-scale error correction: build complete systems that can run practical, industry-relevant applications.
In light of OpenAI’s announcement season, Google’s strategic and major announcement of Willow symbolizes a technological milestone that also represents an essential step towards a future where quantum computing will transform industry, science and society.
Source: Google
Source: https://www.adrenaline.com.br/hardware/willow-google-lanca-supercomputador-quantico-mais-avancado-do-mundo/
