Quantum Supremacy using a Programmable Superconducting Processor

01:38:03

Description
The promise of quantum computers is that certain computational tasks might be executed exponentially faster on a quantum processor than on a classical processor. A fundamental challenge is to build a high-fidelity processor capable of running quantum algorithms in an exponentially large computational space. Here we report the use of a processor with programmable superconducting qubits to create quantum states on 53 qubits, corresponding to a computational state-space of dimension 2^53 (about 10^16). Measurements from repeated experiments sample the resulting probability distribution, which we verify using classical simulations. Our Sycamore processor takes about 200 seconds to sample one instance of a quantum circuit a million times—our benchmarks currently indicate that the equivalent task for a state-of-the-art classical supercomputer would take approximately 10,000 years. This dramatic increase in speed compared to all known classical algorithms is an experimental realization of quantum supremacy for this specific computational task, heralding a much-anticipated computing paradigm.

Description

The promise of quantum computers is that certain computational tasks might be executed exponentially faster on a quantum processor than on a classical processor. A fundamental challenge is to build a high-fidelity processor capable of running quantum algorithms in an exponentially large computational space. Here we report the use of a processor with programmable superconducting qubits to create quantum states on 53 qubits, corresponding to a computational state-space of dimension 2^53 (about 10^16). Measurements from repeated experiments sample the resulting probability distribution, which we verify using classical simulations. Our Sycamore processor takes about 200 seconds to sample one instance of a quantum circuit a million times—our benchmarks currently indicate that the equivalent task for a state-of-the-art classical supercomputer would take approximately 10,000 years. This dramatic increase in speed compared to all known classical algorithms is an experimental realization of quantum supremacy for this specific computational task, heralding a much-anticipated computing paradigm.

Details
Title	Quantum Supremacy using a Programmable Superconducting Processor
Creator	University of California, Berkeley. Dept. of Physics
Published	Berkeley, CA, University of California, Berkeley, Dept. of Physics, January 27, 2020
Full Collection Name	Physics Colloquia
Type	Video
Format	Lecture.
Extent	1 streaming video file
Other Physical Details	digital, sd., col.
Archive	Physics Library
Note	Recorded at a colloquium held on January 27, 2020, sponsored by the Dept. of Physics, University of California, Berkeley. originally produced as an .mts file in 2020 Speakers: John Martinis.
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Collection	Physics Colloquia
Tracks	colloquia/1-27-20Martinis.mp4 01:38:03
Linked Resources	View record in Digital Collections.

Quantum Supremacy using a Programmable Superconducting Processor

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