A New Era of Quantum Supremacy: Google’s Latest Breakthrough with Willow
A model of a quantum computer
dpa picture alliance/Alamy
In 2019, Google made headlines with its quantum computer, Sycamore, achieving quantum supremacy by completing calculations that would take 10,000 years on a conventional supercomputer. However, recent challenges to this claim have sparked a new wave of innovation at Google’s Quantum AI lab. Enter Willow, Google’s latest quantum system designed to push the boundaries of quantum supremacy even further.
Last year, researchers were able to replicate one of Google’s quantum supremacy calculations on a classical computer in just 14.22 seconds, casting doubt on the initial claim. In response, Google introduced Willow, a quantum computer with enhanced capabilities and performance. With Willow, Google estimates that it would take a leading supercomputer 10 septillion years to match the computational power of this quantum system.
Article amended on 10 April 2025
We have amended this article to reflect that Quantinuum’s claim of quantum supremacy still stands
