Google's New Bristlecone Quantum Processor May Usher In Mainstream Quantum Computing

Tech giant Google is previewing a new quantum processor called Bristlecone, and the powerful new processor and research behind it may end bringing quantum computing into the mainstream. Bristlecone uses a new architecture that allows 72 quantum bits on a single array with an overlapping design that puts two different grids together. Google has optimized Bristlecone for the lowest possible error rate using a specialized process called Quantum Error Correction, and without those wasted calculations, the company’s researchers are confident that Bristlecone will be able to outperform a traditional supercomputer on a common, well-defined computing problem, a concept called Quantum Superiority. If this happens, quantum processing will become viable for a wide variety of use cases. Given the much higher power efficiency and raw horsepower in comparison to normal processors, this, in turn, means that Google can begin selling or renting out the Bristlecone platform, and quantum computing will almost certainly go mainstream.