• Google's new quantum chip, Willow, solved a complex problem in five minutes, a task that would take a classical computer longer than the universe's existence.
• The Willow chip, with 105 "qubits," can correct errors in real time, a significant advancement in quantum computing.
• Despite IBM's challenge to Google's 2019 claim, Google maintains that even under ideal conditions, a classical computer would take a billion years to match Willow's results.
• While Willow is still largely experimental, this breakthrough brings us closer to practical, large-scale quantum computing with potential applications in various fields.

Google has made a significant stride in the realm of quantum computing, announcing the development of a new generation chip, Willow. This chip has successfully solved a computing problem in a mere five minutes - a task that would take a classical computer more time than the history of the universe. This breakthrough, announced on Monday, marks a significant stride in the pursuit of quantum computing, a field that promises computing speeds far surpassing those of today's fastest systems.

The tech giant's quantum lab in Santa Barbara, California, solved a mathematical problem that, while currently lacking commercial applications, represents a significant milestone in the journey towards practical quantum computing. Google envisions that quantum computers will one day solve problems in medicine, battery chemistry, and artificial intelligence that are currently beyond the reach of conventional computers.

The Willow chip, the latest product of Google's quantum lab, boasts 105 qubits, the fundamental building blocks of quantum computers. These qubits are incredibly fast but also prone to errors, which can be triggered by something as minute as a subatomic particle from events in outer space.

Overcoming Quantum Challenges

As more qubits are packed onto a chip, these errors can accumulate, rendering the chip no better than a conventional computer chip. This has been a persistent challenge in the field of quantum computing since the 1990s, with scientists striving to develop effective quantum error-correction techniques.

In a paper published in the journal Nature, Google revealed that it has devised a method to string together the Willow chip's qubits in such a way that error rates decrease as the number of qubits increases. The company also claims it can correct errors in real time, a crucial step towards making its quantum machines practical. We are past the break-even point, said Hartmut Neven, who leads the Google Quantum AI unit.

This announcement comes after a contentious claim by Google in 2019 that its quantum chip solved a problem that would take a classical computer 10,000 years. IBM challenged this claim, arguing that the problem could be solved in two-and-a-half days using different technical assumptions about a classical system.

The Future of Quantum Computing

In response to these concerns, Google stated that even under the most idealistic conditions, a classical computer would still take a billion years to achieve the same results as its newest chip. While some of Google's competitors are producing chips with a larger number of qubits, Google's focus remains on creating the most reliable qubits possible, according to Anthony Megrant, chief architect for Google Quantum AI.

The company has also built its own dedicated fabrication facility to produce its Willow chips, a move that Megrant believes will accelerate the production of future chips. The development of Willow represents a significant step in Google's journey to build a useful quantum computer with practical applications in areas like drug discovery, fusion energy, battery design, and more.

However, experts caution that Willow is still largely an experimental device, and a quantum computer powerful enough to solve a wide range of real-world problems is still years and billions of dollars away. This breakthrough by Google is reminiscent of the company's previous achievements in the field of quantum computing.