Google Willow’s quantum computing chip: 3 things you need to know

Google Willow quantum computing chip: Google has developed a new quantum computing chip called Willow, which is amazingly fast, a chip that can perform calculations in less than 5 minutes – something that the fastest supercomputers currently do. Now it takes 10 billion years. According to figures, it is 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years. Google describes this achievement as incredible, surpassing known time periods in physics and it is a number that exceeds the age of the universe. At the same time, it draws attention to the fact that quantum computing can operate in multiple parallel universes, suggesting that we may live in a multiverse. So will Willow reveal the secrets of the universe? We don’t have the answer yet, but this seems like a step toward that—read on.

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Willow is not a classical computing chip but ‘Quantum’?

Willow is not a smartphone chip, like Google’s Tensor G4 that powers the Pixel 9 series or Intel Lunar Lake chips. Instead, it is a quantum computing chip, based on the principles of physics and particle physics. The chip is said to have been in development for more than a decade, with the goal of creating a practical, large-scale quantum computer.

Google calls quantum mechanics “nature’s operating system,” aiming to harness its potential to accelerate scientific discovery and solve humanity’s most pressing challenges.

This breakthrough even attracted attention from Elon Musk, who responded with “wow” on X (formerly Twitter).

What are qubits and how do they differ from traditional computing units?

In traditional computing, the basic unit is represented by 0 or 1—based on whether the transistor is on or off. However, “qubits” or quantum bits can be in both states at the same time. Think of tossing a coin—qubits are similar—having both heads and tails at the same time until you finally see the result.

However, Google says there is a serious problem with qubits, and this is because qubits tend to exchange information quickly with the environment. This leads to difficulties in protecting the information necessary for computation. Google says the more qubits you use—that is, the more powerful the computer or chipset—the more errors there will be.

However, Google was able to use more qubits and resolve more errors, thereby making the system more quantum. Google says this state is called “subthreshold”—reducing error while increasing qubit scale. Google says creating Willow is the first step toward building a very large quantum computer.

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Google Willow—A sign that large and useful quantum computers could soon become a reality?

Google claims that this is the first system to be placed under the threshold, and it’s a sign that useful, large-scale quantum computers can eventually be built. This development will allow companies like Google to deploy practical and commercially relevant algorithms that cannot run on traditional computers.

That being said, Willow currently has 105 physical qubits. However, this may not be enough for real-world deployment. Scientists speculate that millions or even billions of qubits may be needed to perform calculations that impact the real world. So it may take some time before we get there.