Quantinuum’s H2-1 quantum computer has set a new record for “quantum supremacy,” surpassing Google’s 2019 performance by a factor of ten.
Here’s What We Know
The Quantinuum team verified the accuracy of the H2-1 output using what is known as the linear cross entropy test (XEB). XEB produces results ranging from 0 (none of the output is error-free) to 1 (completely error-free), Quantinuum representatives said in a statement.
In experiments conducted by Quantinuum scientists, it was demonstrated that H2-1 could perform calculations with an accuracy of 0.35, 35 per cent higher than the previous record of 0.002 set by Google’s Sycamore quantum computer. Sycamore could perform data calculations in 200 seconds that would have taken 10,000 years for the most powerful supercomputer at the time.
The study, published on 4 June on the arXiv platform, showed that H2-1 uses 56 qubits to perform the calculations, which is 100 times the performance of Sycamore. The scientists noted that to achieve practical “quantum superiority” would require a quantum computer with millions of qubits, as current systems are error-prone.
However, thanks to new developments, reliable quantum computers may be available sooner than expected. Quantinuum is also working with Microsoft to create “logic qubits” with extremely low error rates, bringing us closer to the era of universal quantum computers.
Source: Quantinuum, Space