Google is pushing the frontier when it comes to AI, but it’s simultaneously pushing the frontier in an entirely different field as well.
Google says that it has run a verifiable algorithm on a quantum computer for the first time in history. The quantum version of the algorithm ran 13,000x faster than on leading classical supercomputers. Google says that the latest breakthrough brings them closer to quantum computers that can drive major discoveries in areas like medicine and materials science.
“We have demonstrated the first-ever verifiable quantum advantage running the out-of-order time correlator (OTOC) algorithm, which we call Quantum Echoes,” Google said in a blogpost. “Quantum Echoes can be useful in learning the structure of systems in nature, from molecules to magnets to black holes, and we’ve demonstrated it runs 13,000 times faster on Willow than the best classical algorithm on one of the world’s fastest supercomputers,” it added.
“This is the first time in history that any quantum computer has successfully run a verifiable algorithm that surpasses the ability of supercomputers. Quantum verifiability means the result can be repeated on our quantum computer — or any other of the same caliber — to get the same answer, confirming the result. This repeatable, beyond-classical computation is the basis for scalable verification, bringing quantum computers closer to becoming tools for practical applications,” Google explained.
In partnership with The University of California Berkeley, Google ran the Quantum Echoes algorithm on its Willow chip to study two molecules, one with 15 atoms and another with 28 atoms, to verify its approach. The results on the quantum computer matched those of traditional NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, the technology behind MRI scans), and revealed information not usually available from NMR.
“Google’s Quantum Echoes algorithm showcases the potential for quantum computers to efficiently model and unravel the intricate interactions of these spins, possibly even across long distances,” said Ashok Ajoy, Assistant Professor of Chemistry at UC Berkeley. “As quantum computing continues to mature, such approaches could enhance NMR spectroscopy, adding to its powerful toolbox for drug discovery and the design of advanced materials,” he added.
Google has a thriving quantum division which has been making breakthroughs in recent years. In 2019, Google had demonstrated that a quantum computer could solve a problem that would take the fastest classical supercomputer thousands of years. Late last year, Google had unveiled its new Willow quantum chip which showed how to dramatically suppress errors, solving a major issue that challenged scientists for nearly 30 years. Last month, Michel Devoret, the chief scientist at Google’s quantum AI unit, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on macroscopic quantum effects that laid the foundation for modern superconducting qubit-based quantum computing. And with Google now saying that it is able to run verifiable algorithms on quantum computers 13,000 times faster than traditional supercomputers, it does seem that quantum computing and its applications could end up becoming mainstream in the not too distant future.