Google Advances Quantum Computing with Breakthrough Chip
Google announced on Monday, December 9, that it has achieved a significant milestone in quantum computing. Its new-generation chip, called Willow, solved a complex computing problem in just five minutes—a task that would take a classical computer more time than the entire history of the universe.
Quantum Computing: The Race to the Future
Like Microsoft and IBM, Alphabet’s Google is investing heavily in quantum computing. These advanced machines promise speeds far beyond today’s most powerful systems. Although the math problem solved by Google’s Santa Barbara-based quantum lab lacks immediate commercial applications, the company envisions a future where quantum computers tackle challenges in medicine, battery chemistry, and artificial intelligence.
The Willow chip features 105 qubits, the fundamental units of quantum computation. Qubits are incredibly fast but prone to errors, influenced even by minuscule subatomic particles from outer space. Scaling up the number of qubits historically increases error rates, making quantum chips unreliable.
Since the 1990s, researchers have focused on quantum error-correction to overcome this limitation.
Google’s Breakthrough: Real-Time Error Correction
In a study published in Nature, Google revealed a way to link qubits on the Willow chip so that error rates decrease as the number of qubits rises. The team claims they can correct errors in real time—an essential step toward practical quantum machines.
“We are past the break-even point,” said Hartmut Neven, head of Google Quantum AI.
Competition in Quantum Computing
Google’s rivals, such as IBM, have questioned its claims in the past. In 2019, IBM argued that a problem Google said would take 10,000 years for a classical computer could be solved in two-and-a-half days under alternative assumptions. Google addressed such critiques in its latest findings, asserting that even under ideal classical conditions, its newest chip would still outperform by billions of years.
Some competitors are building chips with more qubits, but Google prioritises reliability over sheer numbers. Anthony Megrant, Google Quantum AI’s chief architect, explained this strategy, emphasising that durable qubits are key to progress.
Cutting-Edge Facilities for Quantum Innovation
Google fabricated its Willow chip in a new, dedicated facility instead of its earlier shared lab at the University of California, Santa Barbara. This new facility accelerates chip production and allows rapid experimentation. The chips are mounted onto circuit boards and housed in cryostat refrigerators—critical for maintaining optimal temperatures and running calculations.
To ensure accuracy, engineers encase the cryostats in copper cylinders, ensuring ultra-quiet, ultra-cold environments for the quantum processors to function.
With inputs from Reuters