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Google Unveils Quantum Chip Capable of Performing Calculations in Five Minutes That Would Take 10 Septillion Years to Complete by Today’s Most Advanced Supercomputers.
This week, Google made an impressive leap in the quest for quantum computing by presenting its latest quantum chip, called Willow. Measuring just 4 cm, the processor managed to perform a standard benchmark calculation in five minutes that would take 10 septillion years to complete by today’s most advanced supercomputers.
This is 10 followed by 24 zeros, or 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years – a time longer than the history of the universe.
Google’s discovery not only impressed the scientific community but also impacted the financial market. Shares of Alphabet, the company that controls Google, rose 5% after the announcement.
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Solving Decades-Old Challenges
One of the main barriers to advancing quantum computing has always been the high error rate. While traditional computers experience failures in only 1 in every billion billion bits, qubits — the building blocks of quantum computers — fail in 1 in every 1,000 operations.
This error rate makes it difficult for these machines to scale beyond conventional supercomputers.
To overcome this challenge, Google scientists developed a new quantum processing unit (QPU), the Willow quantum chip, which achieves a milestone known as “sub-threshold,” a concept introduced by Peter Shor in 1995.
This means that errors decrease exponentially as more physical qubits are added. This achievement was detailed in a study published in the journal Nature on December 9.
Quantum Chip! The Revolution of Logical Qubits
The technology behind Willow is based on logical qubits, which group multiple physical qubits to form a resilient error-correcting structure.
When a physical qubit fails, the others compensate, ensuring that calculations continue to be accurate. To reach this point, Google improved calibration protocols, employed advanced machine learning techniques to identify errors, and refined device manufacturing methods.
These improvements also resulted in coherence times five times greater than the performance of previous chips like Sycamore, launched in 2019.
The coherence time is crucial for qubits to remain in a superposition state, allowing complex calculations to be performed in parallel.
Results Beyond Imagination
To test the Willow, researchers used a benchmark called Random Circuit Sampling (RCS), a standard for evaluating quantum chips.
The result was impressive: a task that would take 10 septillion years for the fastest supercomputers was completed in just five minutes.
This performance places Willow light-years ahead of its predecessor, Sycamore. In 2019, Sycamore was able to solve a problem in 200 seconds, something that would take 10,000 years for a classical computer.
In less than five years, Willow has advanced so much that it now surpasses Sycamore by 20 times in logical error rate and scale.
The Next Step
Despite this historic milestone, Google scientists continue to aim higher. The current goal is to create even more precise logical qubits, with error rates of just 1 in 1 million.
To achieve this, it will be necessary to connect more than 1,400 physical qubits in a cohesive system, which requires even more sophisticated error correction technologies.
Another goal is to go beyond benchmarks and demonstrate practical applications. In previous tests, Google used quantum simulations to discover deviations from the laws of physics, but these results were still within the reach of classical computers.
Now, scientists hope that the next generation of QPUs will not only match but exceed supercomputers in real-world applications.
Impact on Society
Google’s advancement is not just a technical achievement. It opens doors to applications in various areas, such as cryptography, logistics optimization, drug discovery, and solutions to climate issues.
With more reliable and powerful quantum computers, the ability to process data at unmatched speeds could revolutionize entire sectors.
Moreover, the economic impact is also significant. Companies that lead the quantum race are likely to dominate industries and generate trillion-dollar value.
Google’s advancement reinforces its position as a pioneer in this field, highlighting the importance of investing in research and development.
The creation of the Willow quantum chip marks a turning point in the history of computing. The “sub-threshold” achievement is a crucial step toward making quantum computers viable and scalable.
More than just a scientific achievement, this progress promises to transform the way we tackle global challenges, from scientific problems to technological innovations.
Por quê intelectuais desses comentários sempre põe Deus e religião nas notícias de descobertas científicas ou de novas invenções? Sempre tem aquele que acha que Deus não existe ou que Nada supera Deus… Acredito Em Deus, mas acredito que ele nos deu o Dom de pensar, aprender e criar o que quisermos. Acredito na evolução humana e na prosperidade. Acredito que tudo que é dificuldade que o ser humano enfrentar será sempre superado pela nossa capacidade de pensar e criar. Deus Acima de Tudo, Liberdade para criar !
Livro de Daniel , V.T diz:” não seles as palavras deste livro, porque nos últimos dias a ciência/conhecimento se multiplicará!”.
E tu, Daniel, fecha estas palavras e sela este livro, até ao fim do tempo: muitos correrão de uma parte para outra, e a ciência se multiplicará.
Apenas as palavras de Deus se cumprindo.