Google's Willow quantum chip breakthrough is hidden behind a questionable benchmark

Google's Willow chip tests RCS performance but excludes quantum volume comparisons.

: Google introduces the Willow quantum chip, highlighting impressive RCS performance, though the metric lacks real-world applications. Unlike the preceding Sycamore chip, Willow's advancements focus on reducing error rates, making strides towards practical quantum computing. The chip's showcase omits comparisons using quantum volume, a preferred metric by competitors like IBM, challenging holistic capability judgment.

Google presents Willow, its latest quantum chip, emphasizing an unprecedented level of random circuit sampling (RCS) performance. According to Hartmut Neven, founder of Google Quantum AI, RCS is a crucial entry point, despite criticism for lacking practical use. The company claims Willow can accomplish tasks in minutes that would take traditional supercomputers 10 septillion years, also linking its effectiveness to the idea of a multiverse.

However, the benchmark approach raises questions, as Google has previously faced scrutiny over its quantum supremacy claims with the Sycamore chip, which were refuted by some researchers. Unlike Sycamore, Willow offers no assertion of supremacy but aims for beyond-classical computation by efficiently reducing errors as qubits are increased. This progress marks a breakthrough towards a scalable quantum system capable of executing commercially relevant algorithms.

Meanwhile, competitors like IBM and Honeywell employ quantum volume, a metric not mentioned in Willow's specifications, to measure holistic device abilities. This divergence in evaluation methods complicates direct comparisons of advancements. Google concedes more development is required before practical, impactful quantum computing becomes a reality, despite Willow's promising enhancements.

Quantum ComputingWillow chipRandom circuit sampling