Google Device Calculates Instantly; Rivals Need 47 Years

Google has developed a quantum computer that makes instant calculations that would take existing supercomputers 47 years to do, a breakthrough that proved experimental machines can outperform conventional rivals, James Titcomb reported for The Telegraph.

Photo Insert: A paper from Google researchers published online claims that the latest technology is “beyond the capabilities of existing classical supercomputers.”

A paper from Google researchers published online claims that the latest technology is “beyond the capabilities of existing classical supercomputers.”

Proponents say the technology, which relies on the peculiar states of quantum physics, can create hugely powerful machines to battle climate change and create breakthrough drugs.

However, they also threaten to undermine today’s encryption systems, making them a national security priority.

The company’s new paper – Phase Transition in Random Circuit Sampling – published on the open-access science website ArXiv, demonstrates a device that aims to end the debate.

While the 2019 machine had 53 qubits, the next-generation device has 70. Adding more qubits improves a quantum computer’s power exponentially, meaning the new machine is 241 million times more powerful than the 2019 machine.

Researchers said it would take Frontier, the world’s leading supercomputer, 6.18 seconds to match a calculation from Google’s 53-qubit computer from 2019. In comparison, it would take 47.2 years to match its latest one.

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