Recent
advancements
in
quantum
computing
have
revealed
that
Google’s
67-qubit
Sycamore
processor
can
outperform
the
fastest
classical
supercomputers.
This
breakthrough,
detailed
in
a
study
published
in
Nature
on
October
9,
2024,
indicates
a
new
phase
in
quantum
computation
known
as
the
“weak
noise
phase.”
Understanding
the
Weak
Noise
Phase
The
research,
spearheaded
by
Alexis
Morvan
at
Google
Quantum
AI,
demonstrates
how
quantum
processors
can
enter
this
stable
computationally
complex
phase.
During
this
phase,
the
Sycamore
chip
is
capable
of
executing
calculations
that
exceed
the
performance
capabilities
of
traditional
supercomputers.
According
to
Google
representatives,
this
discovery
represents
a
significant
step
towards
real-world
applications
for
quantum
technology
that
cannot
be
replicated
by
classical
computers.
The
Role
of
Qubits
in
Quantum
Computing
Quantum
computers
leverage
qubits,
which
harness
the
principles
of
quantum
mechanics
to
perform
calculations
in
parallel.
This
contrasts
sharply
with
classical
computing,
where
bits
process
information
sequentially.
The
exponential
power
of
qubits
allows
quantum
machines
to
solve
problems
in
seconds
that
would
take
classical
computers
thousands
of
years.
However,
qubits
are
highly
sensitive
to
interference,
leading
to
a
higher
failure
rate;
for
instance,
around
1
in
100
qubits
may
fail,
compared
to
an
incredibly
low
failure
rate
of
1
in
a
billion
billion
bits
in
classical
systems.
Overcoming
Challenges:
Noise
and
Error
Correction
Despite
the
potential,
quantum
computing
faces
significant
challenges,
primarily
the
noise
that
affects
qubit
performance.
To
achieve
“quantum
supremacy,”
effective
error
correction
methods
are
necessary,
especially
as
the
number
of
qubits
increases,
as
per
a
LiveScience
report.
Currently,
the
largest
quantum
machines
have
around
1,000
qubits,
and
scaling
up
presents
complex
technical
hurdles.
The
Experiment:
Random
Circuit
Sampling
In
the
recent
experiment,
Google
researchers
employed
a
technique
called
random
circuit
sampling
(RCS)
to
evaluate
the
performance
of
a
two-dimensional
grid
of
superconducting
qubits.
RCS
serves
as
a
benchmark
to
compare
the
capabilities
of
quantum
computers
against
classical
supercomputers
and
is
regarded
as
one
of
the
most
challenging
benchmarks
in
quantum
computing.
The
findings
indicated
that
by
manipulating
noise
levels
and
controlling
quantum
correlations,
the
researchers
could
transition
qubits
into
the
“weak
noise
phase.”
In
this
state,
the
computations
became
sufficiently
complex,
demonstrating
that
the
Sycamore
chip
could
outperform
classical
systems.