Google claimed quantum supremacy in 2019 — and sparked controversy
Like Schrödinger’s cat, a 2019 claim of quantum supremacy seems to be simultaneously alive and dead. Thanks to the rules of quantum mechanics, the fabled feline occupies two contradictory states at once, and the same applies to this year’s most prominent quantum advance. 72019 Top 10See full list In October, researchers from Google claimed to have achieved a milestone known as quantum supremacy. They had created the first quantum computer that could perform a calculation that is impossible for a standard computer. But IBM researchers countered that Google hadn’t done anything special. The clash highlights the intense commercial interest in quantum computing, as companies jostle for position at the forefront of the field. “It’s obviously a pissing contest,” says quantum physicist Simon Devitt of the University of Technology Sydney. IBM, for instance, has made a fleet of 14 quantum computers accessible via the cloud. The largest has 53 qubits — the quantum version of the bits found in everyday computers. Google’s latest quantum computer, Sycamore, also...