Google parent Alphabet jumps on quantum chip breakthrough

Shares of Google parent Alphabet rose about 5 percent on Tuesday after it unveiled a new generation chip that the company said helped overcome a key challenge in quantum computing.

Google on Monday introduced a new chip called Willow, which solved in five minutes a computing problem that would take a classical computer more time than the history of the universe.

Tech companies are chasing quantum computing in hopes of developing systems that perform at speeds faster than traditional silicon-based computers.

The building blocks of quantum computers, called "qubits", while being fast, are error-prone, making it hard to ensure quantum computers are reliable and commercially viable.

The more qubits used in quantum computing, the more errors typically occur. But Google said on Monday it found a way to string together qubits in the Willow chip so that error rates decline as the number of qubits rise, adding that it can also correct errors in real time.

Since Nobel laureate Richard Feynman proposed the concept of quantum computing in 1981, scientists worldwide have made continuous efforts in quantum research, achieving significant breakthroughs. However, creating a practical, general-purpose quantum computer remains a long-term endeavor.

Some scientists still question the actual capabilities of Google's Willow chip.

Professor Alan Woodward, a computing expert at Surrey University, said that quantum computers will be better at a range of tasks than current "classical" computers, but they will not replace them.

He warns against overstating the importance of Willow's achievement in a single test.

"One has to be careful not to compare apples and oranges," the expert told BBC.

(With input from Reuters)