Google’s Odyssey in Quantum Computing Unveiled — Day 27
Day27 of #Quantum30 Challenge
Welcome readers! On the Day 27 of #Quantum30 Challenge, I watched the talk “Google Quantum AI update” on the YouTube channel Google Quantum AI in the Quantum Summer Symposium 2022.
The Quantum Summer Symposium 2022 opened with a presentation by the Google Quantum AI team, discussing their recent progress in the field of quantum computing. The main goal of the presentation was to update the audience on the advancements made in building quantum hardware and software over the last 12 months. The presentation was organized in a question-and-answer format, addressing common queries from the audience.
The presentation began by revisiting a roadmap that was published in 2020. This roadmap outlined the Google Quantum AI team’s mission to develop a commercially relevant quantum computer using a series of milestones. The first milestone, achieved in 2019, demonstrated the capability of a quantum computer to perform certain tasks much faster than classical computers. The subsequent milestones were focused on quantum error correction, an essential aspect for achieving a commercially valuable quantum computer capable of running complex algorithms.
The speaker then introduced the audience to Milestone 2, which was centered around building a logical qubit prototype using surface code error correction. This error correction approach involved introducing redundancy to qubits and comparing error rates as the logical qubits were scaled up. The speaker presented both the theoretical plan and the actual experimental data, demonstrating that the logical error probability decreased as the code distance increased. This result indicated that the team had successfully achieved Milestone 2.
The presentation delved into the technical details of the experiment, explaining how error syndromes were measured and how decoders were used to identify and correct errors. The team’s success in achieving a lower logical error rate for larger code distances was highlighted as a significant step forward.
The speaker emphasized the importance of not overhyping the results, acknowledging that there are still several milestones to be accomplished before achieving a commercially valuable quantum computer. Milestone 3, in particular, involves achieving a low error rate for a single logical qubit, which is essential for running complex algorithms efficiently.
The presentation also addressed the question of potential applications for quantum computing. The team discussed the challenges posed by surface code error correction, which introduces overhead, and highlighted the need for quantum algorithms that can provide a scaling advantage over classical approaches. They mentioned a collaborative effort with Edward Farhi’s team that demonstrated the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm (QAOA) outperforming classical algorithms in specific optimization tasks.
In the field of chemistry, the team collaborated with Bayer and Ingelheim to explore quantum advantage in modeling enzyme P450, a key protein in pharmacology. Additionally, the presentation discussed the emergence of quantum machine learning at the intersection of quantum sensing and computing.
A fascinating development highlighted was the “cambrian explosion” of Non-Interaction Symmetric Quantum (NISQ) circuits, leading to insights into exotic states of matter. The team observed bound states of photons, a significant achievement considering photons’ usual non-interacting behavior.
Towards the end, the speaker discussed the accessibility of Google’s quantum computing service. They introduced the Quantum Virtual Machine, allowing users to pre-try algorithms and see how they perform on realistic noisy hardware models. The audience was also invited to join the Google Quantum AI team, which has been rapidly growing to meet the increasing demands of the field. The speaker conveyed enthusiasm for collaboration, welcoming individuals from diverse backgrounds and expertise to contribute to the quantum computing journey.
In conclusion, the Google Quantum AI team’s presentation provided a comprehensive update on their recent progress, achievements, challenges, and the future direction of quantum computing.
Thank you, readers! QuantumComputingIndia #Quantum30
