In 2019, Google announced quantum supremacy achieved by a quantum computer equipped with a Sycamore chip. It was achieved after Sycamore processed a problem that would have taken the IBM Summit supercomputer 10,000 years to solve in just 200 seconds. Today, Google announced that their Willow quantum chip has once again demonstrated faster processing capabilities than traditional supercomputers
In a study published in the journal Nature, Willow ran an out-of-order time correlation (OTOC) algorithm called Quantum Echoes. Quantum Echoes is useful for understanding the structure of natural systems such as molecules, magnets and black holes. This algorithm was successfully run 13,000 times faster on Willow than the best classical algorithm on the world's fastest supercomputer. Through the Quantum Echoes algorithm, scientists can measure the structure of molecules which can then drive the development of drugs or identify new materials in the future.
This is the first time in history that a quantum computer has successfully run an algorithm that can be verified to outperform the capabilities of a supercomputer. Quantum verification means that the results can be repeated on Google's quantum computer or any other of the same caliber to get the same answer and confirm the results. Willow's success moves quantum computers one step closer to becoming practical application tools.
