Major Breakthrough in Quantum Error Correction: Google’s Willow Quantum Chip
Google has unveiled its latest quantum computing chip, Willow, marking a significant milestone in the race toward practical quantum computing.
The 105-qubit Willow processor demonstrated a remarkable achievement by reducing quantum errors exponentially as more qubits are added. This feat solves a 30-year challenge in quantum error correction. In a stunning performance test, Willow completed a computation in under five minutes that would take the world’s most powerful supercomputer 10 septillion years to solve.
“This is the most convincing prototype for a scalable logical qubit built to date,” said Hartmut Neven, founder and lead of Google Quantum AI. The breakthrough suggests quantum computers are moving closer to solving real-world problems that are impossible for classical computers.
The Willow chip represents a major step forward from Google’s 2019 Sycamore processor, with improved qubit quality and five times better coherence times. While practical applications remain years away, this achievement validates that large-scale quantum computers can indeed be built.
Source: Google Blog