Google announces quantum advantage, 13,000 times faster than supercomputers

Google's Willow quantum computer processor was able to map out the features of a molecule 13,000 times faster than a modern supercomputer.

Researchers at tech giant Google said they mapped out the structure of a molecule 13,000 times faster than the most powerful “supercomputers” available today, achieving the first verifiable quantum advantage.

The experiment used Google’s Willow Quantum processor and “quantum echoes,” a technique that uses targeted waves to image an object in detail, according to Google.

The technique targets a single qubit, the basic unit of information storage in quantum computing, with a precise signal, causing it to react. The process is then reversed, allowing the researchers to measure the “echo” or signal that bounces back, Google said.

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