The race for IT supremacy is taking an unprecedented turn with challenges that could redefine the limits of computing. The latest advances in quantum computing raise as much hope as questions about their practical implementation and their impact on society. Google is part of this dynamic with an announcement that could well mark a turning point in the field.
Google recently revealed Willowtheir latest quantum computing chip. This innovation makes it possible to solve complex problems in just five minutes, a performance that would be unimaginable for current supercomputers, requiring ten septillion years (i.e. 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years) to achieve the same result.
Willow represents a significant leap in the field of quantum computing, which seeks to use the principles of particle physics to create computers of unprecedented power.
The chip includes notable improvements and establishes the necessary foundation for a large-scale, practical-use quantum computer. However, experts emphasize that Willow remains mostly an experimental device at this stage, indicating that a fully functional quantum computer, capable of tackling a variety of real-world problems, is still years and billions of dollars away from development.
Operation and potential
Quantum computers differ fundamentally from the traditional computers found in our phones or laptops. They exploit the principles of quantum mechanics, the strange behavior of particles at the subatomic scale, to solve complex problems with remarkable speed and efficiency, potentially surpassing the capabilities of classical computers.
This technology could transform areas like new drug discovery, where it would significantly accelerate the research and development process.
However, with such powers comes responsibilities. There are legitimate concerns about the malicious use of quantum computing, particularly to break encryption methods that protect sensitive, personal or corporate data.
Preparations and reactions
In response to these challenges, Apple announced in February that it had strengthened the encryption of iMessage conversations to make it “resistant to quantum computing», thus guaranteeing the security of communications in the face of future quantum threats.
Hartmut Neven, head of Google's Quantum AI lab that developed Willow, describes himself as the “main optimist» of the project. He claimed that Willow would see practical applications, although specific details have not yet been revealed. He also said we shouldn't expect a chip capable of commercial functions before the end of the decade, with early uses focusing on simulating systems affected by quantum effects.
« Willow exhibits peak performance across multiple metrics, enabling two major achievements. The first is that Willow can reduce errors exponentially by increasing the number of qubits. This solves a major challenge in quantum error correction, which the field has been working on for almost 30 years. Next, Willow performed a standard calculation under the benchmark in less than five minutes, a task that would take one of today's fastest supercomputers 10 septillion (that's 10^25) years — a number that far exceeds the age of the Universe. » said Hartmut Neven in a blog post on the Google site.
He also said that Willow's performance on this benchmark was nothing short of revolutionary: this dizzying figure exceeds all known time scales in physics and is far greater than the age of our universe. Such a result supports the fascinating idea that quantum computing works across multiple parallel universes, reflecting the multiverse theory proposed by David Deutsch.
Illustration caption: Google unveils Willow, its latest quantum computing chip. Credit: Google
Article : « Google Quantum AI and Collaborators. Quantum error correction below the surface code threshold » Nature, 2024; DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08449-y
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