Why are we fussing over Willow?
Two normal computer bits can exist in four possible states—00, 01, 10, or 11. But they can represent only one of these at a time. A quantum computer allows two quantum bits (qubits) to represent the four states at the same time due to ‘superposition’ and ‘entanglement’ properties, akin to running four computers. A quantum computer’s power grows exponentially with more qubits but it also induces errors, making the system like a normal computer. Google’s Willow reduces the errors when scaling, prompting Elon Musk to react with a ‘Wow’ when Google CEO, Sundar Pichai, announced this on X.
Are they ready for daily applications?
No. Governments, tech firms, and venture capitalists are investing billions in quantum computing, driven by its promise to revolutionize industries, and provide commercial and military advantages. Quantum promises breakthroughs in cryptography, drug discovery, and logistics optimization with its incredible processing speeds. Willow has indeed brought the world a step closer to running a more stable quantum computer. A challenge, says Google, is “to demonstrate a first ‘useful, beyond-classical’ computation on today’s quantum chips that is relevant to a real-world application”.
Will this speed up AI models, endanger bitcoins?
Blockchain-powered bitcoins rely on classical cryptographic algorithms. Quantum advancements like Shor’s algorithm could break these systems in minutes, jeopardizing bitcoin’s $1 trillion ecosystem, warranting upgrades. Thus, quantum computational capabilities could potentially overshadow blockchain for security applications.
Is it time to pop the champagne bottle?
While noteworthy, Willow has limited practical applications at this stage. Also, while Willow is a 105-qubit chip, IBM offers a 156-qubit processor for testing business applications. Further, while Google uses surface code methods to correct errors across large qubit arrays, IBM’s modular error correction approach focuses on breaking quantum systems into smaller, manageable units, each with localized error correction. It remains to be seen which approach turns out to be more efficient.
How is India faring in this space?
With the National Quantum Mission (NQM), India plans to develop quantum computers with 50-100 qubits in about five years, and 1,000 qubits and beyond in eight years. However, the focus will also be on developing quantum error correction to make quantum computers stable and functional for everyday use, and building quantum algorithms for practical applications. India currently has a six-qubit quantum computer, built by the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.