Researchers said they identified a computational gap between quantum and classical processors by studying second-order OTOC data on Willow. The work combined theoretical analysis, experiments, and direct testing of nine classical simulation algorithms.
The source says the experiment involved 65 qubits, and that an exact description of the system would require storing and processing 265 complex numbers in memory. It adds that quantum chaos in the circuits makes every amplitude equally important, creating a challenge for compressed classical methods.
The researchers said careful accounting for the signs of probability amplitudes was necessary to predict the experimental data. They said this presents a barrier for efficient classical algorithms such as quantum Monte Carlo, which rely on probabilities and would produce uncontrollable error in the computation output.
They said direct implementation of algorithms based on compressed representation and efficient quantum Monte Carlo confirmed the impossibility of predicting second-order OTOC data. The experiments on Willow took approximately 2 hours, compared with an estimated 13,000 times longer on a classical supercomputer.
The source also says the result followed an estimated 10 person years spent in classical red teaming of the quantum result, including implementation of nine classical simulation algorithms.
Source: research.google.
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