Google has announced that it has made a significant progress in the creation of a commercially viable quantum computer. The company released Tuesday test results for its Willow chip.
These results show that, the more qubits Google employed in Willow, and the more errors the system reduced.
“Google’s achievement of quantum error correction is an important milestone towards practical quantum computation,” said Florian Neukart. Chief product officer at Terra QuantumIn Saint Gallen in Switzerland, is a developer and designer of quantum algorithms.
“It addresses one of the largest hurdles — maintaining coherence and reducing errors during computation,” he told TechNewsWorld.
Qubits – the fundamental information unit of quantum computing – are highly sensitive to their surroundings. Decoherence, or the loss of quantum properties can be caused by any disturbances. Maintaining qubit stability — or coherence — long enough to perform useful computations has been a significant challenge for developers.
Decoherence can also make quantum computers prone to errors, which is one of the reasons why Google’s announcement was so important. Effective error correction is crucial to the development and practicality of quantum computers.
“Willow marks a significant milestone on the road to fault-tolerant Quantum Computing,” said Rebecca Krauthamer. QuSecureA manufacturer of quantum-safe solutions for security in San Mateo (California).
She told TechNewsWorld, “It is a big step towards making quantum systems commercially feasible.”
Quantum Computing: Progress towards Large-Scale Quantum Computing
In a company blog, Google Vice President of Engineering Hartmut Neven explained that researchers tested ever-larger arrays of physical qubits, scaling up from a grid of 3×3 encoded qubits, to a grid of 5×5, to a grid of 7×7. They reduced the error rate by half with each advancement. He wrote, “In other words we achieved an exponential decrease in the error rates.”
“This historic accomplishment is known in the field as ‘below threshold’ — being able to drive errors down while scaling up the number of qubits,” he continued.
Simon Fried, Vice President for Business Development and Marketing at ClassiqTel Aviv-based developer of quantum computer software.
TechNewsWorld reported that the ability to reduce noise or compensate it allows longer and more complex programs to be run.
“This is an important advancement in chip tech due to the inherent stability of hardware and its ability control noise,” said he.
Neven added that, as the first system to be built below the threshold of the quantum threshold, it was the most convincing prototyping for a scalable qubit. He wrote that it was a “strong sign” that large, useful quantum computers could be built. “Willow brings us closer to running practical, commercially-relevant algorithms that can’t be replicated on conventional computers.”
Willow’s Implications in Multiverse Security
Google has also released data about Willow’s performance, based on the RCS benchmark (random circuit sampling), a popular quantum computer test.[I]Neven explains that it checks whether a computer can perform a task that is impossible on a classic computer. “Any team creating a quantum machine should check if it can defeat classical computers in RCS. If not, then there is good reason to be skeptical that it can handle more complex quantum problems.”
Neven called Willow’s performance on RCS benchmark “astonishing.” It performed a computation in under five minutes that would take one of today’s fastest supercomputers 10 septillion years — that’s 10 followed by 25 zeroes.
He wrote: “This staggering number is beyond the known timescales of physics, and far exceeds the age the universe.” “It lends credit to the idea that quantum computation takes place in parallel universes. In line with the concept that we live in multiverse,” he wrote.
Chris Hickman, Chief Security Officer at KeyfactorThe company, which manages digital identities in Cleveland, has hailed Willow’s quantum error correction as “a significant landmark in quantum computing”. However, it cautioned, that Willow brings quantum computing closer to practical applications.
He told TechNewsWorld that “while this development does not immediately alter the anticipated timeline for quantum computer to break current encryption standard, it reinforces this idea that progress towards achieving this milestone is increasing.”
“Practical applications for quantum computers are not limited to business-related uses,” he added. “Bad actor will use technology for their own benefit.”
Hackers will use quantum computers to decrypt sensitive data, making legacy cryptographic methods redundant,” he said. These include algorithms such as RSA ECC is considered unbreakable at the moment.”
Quantum Cure-All: Beware
Karl Holmqvist is the founder and CEO LastwallMountain View-based, which provides identity-centric technologies and quantum-resilient ones, has agreed that quantum computers are advancing at a faster rate. He told TechNewsWorld that skeptics believe that quantum computers are not as near as they seem or may never arrive.
“My question is to all of you: Which scenario is more risky, given that we either deploy quantum resilient solutions too soon or too late? He asked. “Would you rather understand the implications of post-quantum cryptographic deployments, test them in your environments, and be prepared to rapidly deploy when needed — or risk losing your secrets?”
Neven revealed in his blog why he switched his focus from artificial to quantum computing. Both technologies will have a profound impact on our lives, but quantum computing will benefit advanced AI the most.
Edward Tian CEO of noted that quantum computing was designed to solve complex problems. This could help AI develop. GPTZeroHe told TechNewsWorld that he has seen cases where classical AI is still the best method.
Krauthamer added, “I left AI to enter the quantum computing field because quantum computing holds the promise of opening doors that are closed in the classical computing world.”
But she did have some cautions about the technology. She said that a quantum computer was not just a faster, bigger computer. “It is a quantum computer that thinks differently, and therefore will solve different problems from what we are able to do today.” It’s wise to be sceptical if quantum computer is touted as the panacea for difficult computation tasks.