Algorithm enables precise molecular analysis for drug development and materials science, validated through UC Berkeley collaboration

Google announced on the 22nd (local time) that it has successfully implemented an algorithm capable of objectively verifying the performance of a quantum computer for the first time. Quantum computers can solve problems that would take conventional computers several decades to solve in just 1 to 2 seconds. However, until now, there was no reliable method to confirm the accuracy of the answers they produced so quickly. By enabling this verification, Google has moved closer to the commercialization of quantum computers, according to experts.

Google revealed that its quantum chip "Willow" successfully executed the "Quantum Echo" algorithm. Quantum computers are based on quantum physics principles that govern the atomic scale. Traditional computers, which use CPUs or GPUs, store information as bits (0 or 1) and process them sequentially. In contrast, quantum computers use "qubits," which exist in a superposition state, simultaneously representing both 0 and 1, enabling faster computations.

Due to their rapid processing speed, quantum computers surpass the performance of even the most advanced supercomputers. They possess the computational power to solve problems in seconds that would take conventional computers decades, promising revolutionary advancements in fields like drug development once commercialized.

However, there was a lack of objective metrics to verify quantum computers' performance. For instance, while it was easy to prove that a quantum computer solved a mathematical problem faster than a supercomputer, confirming the accuracy of its results or computational process remained challenging.

Google's successful implementation of the "Quantum Echo" algorithm with Willow has opened a path to objectively verify quantum computer performance. "Echo" is a technique that detects signals by reversing quantum states, akin to an "echo" that retraces calculations backward. After the quantum chip produces a result, researchers reverse the computation using this algorithm. If the reversed state matches the initial state, it indicates minimal information loss or errors during the process -- a form of verification confirming the quantum computer's accuracy.

Through this method, Google demonstrated that its quantum computer can solve real scientific problems 13,000 times faster than existing supercomputers while maintaining accuracy.

Google is already applying this algorithm to practical fields such as new materials and drug development. In collaboration with UC Berkeley, it is analyzing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experimental data -- a core technology in MRI -- using quantum computers. The company stated that this approach yields far more precise molecular structures compared to supercomputer-based methods.

Experts predict that the commercialization of quantum computers will bring transformative changes across society. Drug development, in particular, is a field where quantum computers are highly anticipated. Since drugs derive their efficacy from molecular interactions that classical computers struggle to model accurately, quantum computers could significantly shorten the development timeline for anticancer drugs, dementia treatments, and infectious disease vaccines. Google remarked, "Just as telescopes and microscopes revealed previously unseen worlds, this experiment marks the first step toward a 'quantum-scope' capable of measuring natural phenomena that were once unobservable."