The field of quantum computing is seen as the next big breakthrough in computing technology. However, the field is still in its infancy, with every major tech company, including Google, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, and various startups and academic labs, exploring it and racing to become the first to achieve ‘quantum supremacy,’ where a quantum computer outperforms a traditional binary supercomputer at a well-defined problem.
In recent times, researchers have been making major strides in quantum computing and the latest milestone in this field arrived with Google unveiling their new quantum processor called Bristlecone.
Google has unveiled its 72-qubit universal quantum computer, called Bristlecone, that takes things to the next level. Google believes that this quantum computer, which provides a “compelling proof-of-principle for building larger scale quantum computers,” can put it on a path to reach quantum supremacy in the future.
“We are cautiously optimistic that quantum supremacy can be achieved with Bristlecone, and feel that learning to build and operate devices at this level of performance is an exciting challenge,” writes Google’s Julian Kelly in the preview blog post.
The purpose of Bristlecone, Google says, is to provide its researchers with a testbed “for research into system error rates and scalability of their qubit technology, as well as applications in quantum simulation, optimization, and machine learning.”
Google’s Quantum AI lab presented Bristlecone at the annual meeting of the American Physical Society.
