Alphabet Inc.’s Google ran an algorithm on its “Willow” quantum-computing chip that can be repeated on similar platforms and outperform classical supercomputers, a breakthrough it said clears a path for useful applications of quantum technology within five years.
The “Quantum Echoes” algorithm, detailed in a paper published Wednesday in the science journal Nature, is verifiable, meaning it can be repeated on another quantum computer. It also ran 13,000 times faster than possible on the world’s best supercomputer, Google said. Taken together, the advances point to a broad range of potential uses in medicine and materials science, Google said.
Breakthrough signals shift from theory to practical quantum use
“The key thing about verifiability is it’s a huge step in the path toward a real wo