---
title: "Google is Closer Than Ever to a Quantum Computer Breakthrough"
description: "This is a critical step along the way to functional quantum computers that can achieve problems far beyond the capacity of traditional systems."
date: "2017-06-23"
modified: "2017-06-23"
authors:
  - name: "Karla Lant"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/karla"
url: "https://futurism.com/google-is-closer-than-ever-to-a-quantum-computer-breakthrough"
categories:
  - "Artificial Intelligence"
  - "Future Society"
  - "Google"
tags:
  - "Google"
  - "quantum computing"
  - "quantum supremacy"
---

# Google is Closer Than Ever to a Quantum Computer Breakthrough

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/qunatum.png>)

## Google's 49 Qubit Chip

Google is maintaining its edge in the world of quantum computing. Its 20-qubit processor is currently undergoing tests, and the company appears to be on schedule to have its working 49-qubit chip ready by the end of 2017 as promised. Until it began trialing the 20-qubit chip, Google's most powerful quantum chip was the 9-qubit effort from 2015.

Traditional computer bits are binary, only existing as either 0 or 1; they're like light switches that are either on or off. Qubits, on the other hand, can be 0 or 1 like regular bits, but can also have quantum properties that allow them to exist in a superposition where they are both [0 and 1 simultaneously](<https://futurism.com/taken-the-age-of-commercial-quantum-computers-has-arrived>). This makes qubits potentially far more powerful, because instead of figuring something out by trying each option one by one, they can simultaneously compute more than one possibility.

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/google-quantum-computing.png>)

Google's 49-qubit chip will allow them to develop a 49-qubit quantum system that can solve problems that are far beyond the capacity of ordinary computers: Google calls this goal [quantum supremacy](<https://arxiv.org/abs/1608.00263>). The 20-qubit system that the Google quantum computing team is now working on currently boasts a “two-qubit fidelity” of 99.5 percent. The higher the rating, the fewer errors the system makes. Quantum supremacy demands not only a 49-qubit system, but also sufficient accuracy to achieve a two-qubit fidelity of at least 99.7 percent—which Google is on track to deliver by the end of 2017.

## Quantum Computing, Quantum Speed

Google isn't alone in their quest for advancing quantum computing. In 2016, IBM was running a 5 qubit computer, but [by May 2017](<https://futurism.com/ibms-newest-quantum-computing-processors-have-triple-the-qubits-of-their-last>), it was offering beta access to its 16 qubit platform to the public for testing purposes. Furthermore, qubits alone aren't the only consideration for actually achieving working quantum computers; [error correction and scaling](<https://www.newscientist.com/article/2138373-google-on-track-for-quantum-computer-breakthrough-by-end-of-2017/?utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#link_time=1498147656>) will also be critical to quantum systems. However, if Google does achieve quantum supremacy, it will be a major step forward.

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlalant>)  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/KarlaLant>)