Google (GOOGL.US) quantum computing has made great progress! The error rate in key links was reduced by about 40 times, a step towards practical application

The Zhitong Finance App learned that Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet (GOOGL.US), said it has demonstrated a new technology that can reduce the error rate of a key aspect of quantum computing by about 40 times. This marks progress in building machines that are powerful enough and reliable enough to solve problems unattainable by traditional computers.

Researchers Emma Rosenfeld and Craig Gidney said in a Google quantum AI blog post that research results published in the scientific journal “Science” on October 15 showed that a process called “magic state cultivation” (magic state cultivation) can run on Google's Willow quantum processor. The technology achieved a record accuracy of 99.99% on the specialized quantum states required to perform some advanced calculations.

This advance solved a major obstacle to commercial quantum computing: the huge amount of hardware needed to prevent errors. Quantum computers use qubits (qubits), and they characterize and process information in ways that ordinary computer bits cannot. However, qubits are extremely sensitive to interference, and reliable computation is difficult to achieve without extensive error correction.

Why is “magic” important

One particularly expensive part of error correction involves preparing a so-called “magic state.” These are specially prepared quantum states to support some of the operations required for a fully functional quantum computer. Unlike traditional computing resources, magic states are consumed during use and must be continuously replenished.

Google said that some previous estimates showed that preparing these states may consume up to 95% of the quantum computer's computing power, leaving only a small portion for useful calculations. Reducing this burden may significantly reduce future quantum computers and reduce operating costs.

Google's nurturing technology solves this problem by starting with an imperfect quantum state and checking it for errors over and over again. Attempts that fail the check are discarded, resulting in a much more reliable state of the system. On Google Willow processors, this method reduces errors by about 40 times compared to the uncultivated state.

Engineering challenges and breakthroughs

The study also requires Google to overcome problems with quantum erroneous measurement methods. The team discovered that electrical fluctuations and temperature changes distort their testing methods, producing results that initially seemed inconsistent with established physics. The researchers then modified the hardware controls and developed a new method to measure its technical accuracy.

Another result was the transfer of improved quantum states between two different error correction systems — color codes (color codes) and surface codes (surface codes). These two systems are alternatives for protecting quantum information from errors. Proving that these states can survive after transfer indicates that cultivation techniques can eventually be integrated into larger quantum computing systems.

For Alphabet investors, these findings mean progress in overcoming technical and economic barriers to commercial quantum computing. More efficient error correction may ultimately reduce the number of physical qubits required to perform useful calculations, thereby potentially reducing the cost and complexity of building commercially viable machines. Quantum computers may eventually be used in materials science, chemistry, and other fields where traditional computers are extremely difficult to complete.

However, these results don't mean that Google has developed a commercially practical quantum computer. The company acknowledged that the technology still needs to be validated on a larger scale and that major engineering challenges remain. The 40x improvement applies specifically to magical state preparation, not to the overall performance or error rate of the entire processor.

The study strengthened Google's position in the race to develop fault-tolerant quantum computing. Fault-tolerant quantum computing is a machine that can perform complex calculations over a long period of time despite errors in the underlying hardware.

Although this achievement may eventually improve the economics of quantum computing, Google has yet to provide a commercialization timeline or quantify any potential revenue impact. For investors, its direct significance lies in technological advances rather than contributions to Alphabet's recent profits.