Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 6 hrs ago
Google demonstrates a more efficient way to reduce quantum computer errors
Google researchers demonstrated a way to reduce errors in quantum computers using the company’s Willow chip.
The method, called magic state cultivation, prepares a special quantum state that enables key operations in quantum calculations.
Qubits, the building blocks of quantum computers, are prone to errors, and preparing these states has been a costly part of correcting them.
In the experiment, cultivation cut errors by about 40 times compared with not using the method.
However, only 8 percent of runs produced usable states, because low-quality results were rejected.
The result is a step toward making smaller, more efficient quantum computers, but the chip still needs fewer errors before it can tackle useful problems.
The team says the share of runs producing good states should increase.
Google researchers demonstrated that magic state cultivation reduced errors on the Willow quantum computer by roughly 40 times.
The technique grows and checks a quantum state, aiming to make the special states needed for error-corrected operations more efficiently.
The experiment used 54 of Willow’s 105 physical qubits.
Only 8 per cent of Willow’s computations produced high-quality magic states, according to New Scientist.
Researchers said the result is a step toward more practical quantum computing, but further error reduction is needed.
- Who
- Emma Rosenfeld and colleagues at Google Quantum AI.
- What
- They demonstrated magic state cultivation on the Willow quantum computer, reducing errors by roughly 40 times.
- When
- The study was published on October 15, 2026.
- Where
- On Google’s Willow quantum computer.
- Why
- To make the special states needed for error-corrected quantum operations more efficiently.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Google Research colleagues of Rosenfeld proposed magic state cultivation as an alternative method for creating magic states.
The study demonstrating cultivation on Willow was published.
- Error reduction
- Roughly 40-fold
- Physical qubits used
- 54 of Willow’s 105
- High-quality magic states
- 8 per cent of Willow’s computations, according to New Scientist
- Study lead author
- Emma Rosenfeld
- Technique
- Magic state cultivation
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What people are saying
It eats up a lot of qubits and a lot of time
The Google experiment shows that cultivation works in practice
It’s an approach that can make fault-tolerant quantum computing substantially cheaper
this experiment is a significant step forward