Quantum supremacy using a programmable superconducting processor

Arute F, Arya K, Babbush R, Bacon D, Bardin JC, Barends R, Biswas R, Boixo S, Brandao FG, Buell DA, Burkett B, Chen Y, Chen Z, Chiaro B, Collins R, Courtney W, Dunsworth A, Farhi E, Foxen B, Fowler A, Gidney C, Giustina M, Graff R, Guerin K, Habegger S, Harrigan MP, Hartmann M, Ho A, Hoffmann M, Huang T, Humble TS, Isakov SV, Jeffrey E, Jiang Z, Kafri D, Kechedzhi K, Kelly J, Klimov PV, Knysh S, Korotkov A, Kostritsa F, Landhuis D, Lindmark M, Lucero E, Lyakh D, Mandrà S, McClean JR, McEwen M, Megrant A, Mi X, Michielsen K, Mohseni M, Mutus J, Naaman O, Neeley M, Neill C, Niu MY, Ostby E, Petukhov A, Platt JC, Quintana C, Rieffel EG, Roushan P, Rubin NC, Sank D, Satzinger KJ, Smelyanskiy V, Sung KJ, Trevithick MD, Vainsencher A, Villalonga B, White T, Yao ZJ, Yeh P, Zalcman A, Neven H, Martinis JM (2019)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2019

Journal

Nature Nature Research

Book Volume: 574

Pages Range: 505-510

Journal Issue: 7779

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1666-5

Abstract

The promise of quantum computers is that certain computational tasks might be executed exponentially faster on a quantum processor than on a classical processor¹. 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^2–7 to create quantum states on 53 qubits, corresponding to a computational state-space of dimension 2⁵³ (about 10¹⁶). 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^8–14 for this specific computational task, heralding a much-anticipated computing paradigm.

Authors with CRIS profile

Michael Hartmann Lehrstuhl für Theoretische Physik

Involved external institutions

Google Ireland Limited

Ireland (IE) University of California

United States (USA) (US) Oak Ridge National Laboratory

United States (USA) (US) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

United States (USA) (US) Forschungszentrum Jülich / Research Centre Jülich (FZJ)

Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Arute, F., Arya, K., Babbush, R., Bacon, D., Bardin, J.C., Barends, R.,... Martinis, J.M. (2019). Quantum supremacy using a programmable superconducting processor. Nature, 574(7779), 505-510. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1666-5

MLA:

Arute, Frank, et al. "Quantum supremacy using a programmable superconducting processor." Nature 574.7779 (2019): 505-510.

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