A quantum leap for quantum supremacy

In the fall of 2019, Google researchers claimed the world’s first demonstration of quantum supremacy, ie having a quantum device solve a problem that no classical computer can solve in any feasible amount of time (it’s also referred to as quantum primacy or quantum advantage). Their 53-qubit Sycamore quantum computer based on superconducting circuits took 200 seconds to perform a calculation that the researchers estimated would take a top-of-the-line supercomputer 10,000 days to complete.

While experts agree that Google’s result is a milestone in quantum computing, not all of them feel it qualifies as the world’s first demonstration of quantum supremacy. IBM, for example, claims that its Summit supercomputer can actually solve the problem in 2.5 days, and it’s conceivable that a more efficient algorithm will be found to close the gap even more.