Athira Sethu
Kochi, 10 December 2024
Google has just announced that it has made a very significant achievement in quantum computing. The company reportedly developed a new chip dubbed ‘Willow’ that can solve a complex problem in just five minutes, which would take over the age of the universe for a regular computer.
Quantum computing is one area that Google, along with other tech companies like Microsoft and IBM, is exploring aggressively. The quantum computers promise to do far more in much less time than today’s most powerful computers. However, the problem that Google solved using the Willow chip does not have an immediate practical use, although the company believes that these quantum computers could one day be helpful in solving problems related to medicine, artificial intelligence, and battery technology which cannot be solved by computers of today.
It makes use of 105 “qubits” in The Willow chip. Qubits are faster than regular bits found in normal computers but very sensitive at the same time. The slightest disturbance can disturb a qubit by the minute particles floating around in space. The number of qubits being used increases, hence creating an enormous difficulty in workability.
Since the early 1990s, researchers have been striving for quantum computers with decreased error levels. A great deal that Google discovered was the connection between qubits on its Willow chip, which does not have error rates that grow in multiples when it adds additional qubits. Further, it asserts it can correct the error in real-time operation-a tremendous step towards bringing greater dependability to this machine and usefulness.
“We have passed the break-even point,” said Hartmut Neven, who leads Google’s Quantum AI. This would imply that the Willow chip can now perform work faster than the traditional computer.
While other companies are developing quantum chips with more qubits, Google focuses on making its qubits as reliable as possible. Google built a new facility to produce Willow chips and, because of that, is able to make future chips faster. This facility will allow Google to test new ideas faster and to continue the progress of quantum computing.
