谷歌推出「Willow」量子晶片，迎來廣泛創新與實際應用

科技巨擘Google（納斯達克股票代碼：GOOGL）宣布推出一款新型量子晶片，有望迎來廣泛的創新與現實應用

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Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) has announced a new quantum chip that is expected to usher in widespread innovation and real-world application for quantum computing.

Google（納斯達克股票代碼：GOOGL）宣布推出一款新型量子晶片，可望引領量子運算的廣泛創新和實際應用。

According to an official announcement on Monday (February 27), Google says the new chip can eliminate some errors commonly associated with quantum computing while demonstrating seamless performance. Dubbed “Willow,” the quantum chip has been in the works for over a decade and forms part of the roadmap Google has laid out.

根據週一（2 月 27 日）的官方公告，Google表示，新晶片可以消除一些通常與量子運算相關的錯誤，同時展示無縫性能。這款被稱為「Willow」的量子晶片已經研發了十多年，是Google制定的路線圖的一部分。

While quantum computers rely on qubits to measure their computations, the consensus is that errors increase alongside the number of qubits. However, a recent paper released in Nature reveals that the reverse is the case for Willow, as it can cut errors in half.

雖然量子電腦依靠量子位元來測量其計算，但共識是錯誤隨著量子位元數量的增加而增加。然而，《自然》雜誌最近發表的一篇論文表明，Willow 的情況正好相反，因為它可以將錯誤減少一半。

“This historic accomplishment is known in the field as “below threshold” — being able to drive errors down while scaling up the number of qubits,” read the announcement.

「這一歷史性成就在該領域被稱為「低於閾值」——能夠在擴大量子位元數量的同時減少錯誤，」公告中寫道。

Early studies indicate that Willow can achieve real-time error correction on a superconducting quantum system. The significance is that fixing errors during computation is key in ensuring overall accuracy, hinting at the prospects of mainstream use.

早期研究表明，Willow 可以在超導量子系統上實現即時糾錯。其意義在於，修復計算過程中的錯誤是確保整體精度的關鍵，暗示了主流應用的前景。

In terms of performance, Willow blows its competition out of the water, performing advanced computations in under five minutes. Google says that the fastest supercomputers will take 10 septillion years to finish the same calculation, with Willow surpassing the random circuit sampling (RCS) benchmark.

在性能方面，Willow 擊敗了競爭對手，在五分鐘內執行高級計算。谷歌表示，最快的超級電腦需要 10 億年才能完成相同的計算，而 Willow 超越了隨機電路取樣 (RCS) 基準。

RCS is Google’s brainchild and is widely considered the standard quantum computer test. It confirms whether or not a task to be performed by a quantum computer can be done by a classic computer.

RCS 是 Google 的創意，被廣泛認為是標準的量子電腦測試。它確認了量子電腦執行的任務是否可以由經典電腦完成。

Armed with 105 qubits, Willow excels in RCS and quantum error correction tests with improved excitation retainer times, a 5-fold improvement from previous chips.

Willow 配備 105 個量子位元，在 RCS 和量子糾錯測試方面表現出色，並改善了激發保持時間，比以前的晶片提高了 5 倍。

Eye on commercializationBefore Willow, the mainstream use of quantum computing appeared to be far off in the distant future. However, the tech giant says that enterprises can begin integrating quantum computers into their operations as early as 2028, with Google adopting a “useful, beyond classical” approach.

著眼於商業化 在 Willow 之前，量子運算的主流應用似乎還遙不可及。然而，這家科技巨頭表示，企業最早可以在 2028 年開始將量子電腦整合到其營運中，谷歌將採用「有用的、超越經典」的方法。

“Google's advancement in quantum computing with Willow puts the likelihood of companies using quantum computers for business in the next two to three years,” said Dr. Erik Garcell, Director of Quantum Enterprise Development at Classiq, to one news outlet.

Classiq 量子企業開發總監 Erik Garcell 博士對一家新聞媒體表示：“Google透過 Willow 在量子計算方面取得的進步使得公司在未來兩到三年內使用量子電腦開展業務的可能性。”

Despite the push into quantum computing, Google says it keeps an eye on innovation in classical computing and other emerging technologies that may be relevant to solving real-world commercial challenges.

儘管大力推進量子計算，但谷歌表示，它一直在關注經典計算和其他可能與解決現實世界商業挑戰相關的新興技術的創新。

Quantum threat to Bitcoin still decades away, says Bernstein analysts

伯恩斯坦分析師表示，比特幣面臨的量子威脅還需要數十年的時間

Google’s announcement of Willow has elicited a wave of excitement across the board, but digital asset enthusiasts are worried about the implication of a commercial release.

谷歌宣布推出 Willow 引起了廣泛的關注，但數位資產愛好者對商業發布的影響感到擔憂。

There is palpable fear that the new quantum chip may pose new threats to Bitcoin, with bad actors leveraging it to break and decrypt encryption codes. However, Bernstein analysts have downplayed the fears, noting that a direct threat to Bitcoin is still “decades away” from troubling the asset.

人們明顯擔心新的量子晶片可能會對比特幣構成新的威脅，不法分子利用它來破解和解密加密代碼。然而，伯恩斯坦分析師淡化了這種擔憂，指出對比特幣的直接威脅仍然「幾十年後」才會給該資產帶來麻煩。

Analysts spearheaded by Gautam Chhugani noted that Willow’s 105 qubits cannot breach Bitcoin’s Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA). The ECDSA secures private keys and facilitates digital signatures for each transaction, with the SHA-256 serving as an additional layer of protection.

以 Gautam Chhugani 為首的分析師指出，Willow 的 105 個量子位元無法違反比特幣的橢圓曲線數位簽章演算法 (ECDSA)。 ECDSA 可保護私鑰並促進每筆交易的數位簽名，並使用 SHA-256 作為附加保護層。

According to Bernstein analysts, breaching ECDSA will require millions of qubits, a far cry from the 105 qubits possessed by the most advanced quantum chip.

Bernstein 分析師表示，突破 ECDSA 需要數百萬個量子位，這與最先進量子晶片所擁有的 105 個量子位元相去甚遠。

Despite a direct threat being in the far future, Bernstein’s analysts urge for preemptive action to mitigate the risks associated with mainstream quantum computing. While several solutions have been floated, the most obvious choice appears to be a transition to quantum-resistant signatures to counter the use of quantum computing to decrypt encryption codes.

儘管在遙遠的未來會出現直接威脅，但伯恩斯坦的分析師敦促採取先發制人的行動，以減輕與主流量子運算相關的風險。雖然已經提出了幾種解決方案，但最明顯的選擇似乎是過渡到抗量子簽名，以對抗使用量子運算來解密加密程式碼。

“Should Bitcoin contributors start preparing for the quantum future? Yes, but any practical threat to Bitcoin seems to remain decades away,” said the analysts. “Bitcoin contributors have also been pivoting to a transition to quantum-resistant encryption.”

「比特幣貢獻者應該開始為量子未來做準備嗎？是的，但對比特幣的任何實際威脅似乎還需要幾十年的時間，」分析師表示。 “比特幣貢獻者也一直在轉向抗量子加密的過渡。”

However, pivoting to quantum-resistant encryption will not be easy for the community. The worst-case scenario will involve a hard fork that could spark a schism over the dominant chain in an attempt to increase block sizes.

然而，對於社群來說，轉向抗量子加密並不容易。最壞的情況將涉及硬分叉，這可能會引發主導鏈的分裂，以試圖增加區塊大小。

A soft fork might be an ideal solution, but experts say the process could take several years to complete. One group of experts opines that the earliest threats may appear in five years, eliminating a soft fork solution while pushing for an urgent fix.

軟分叉可能是理想的解決方案，但專家表示該過程可能需要幾年時間才能完成。一組專家認為，最早的威脅可能在五年內出現，消除軟分叉解決方案，同時推動緊急修復。

Capriole Investments Founder Charles Edwards argues that as little as logical 2500 qubits may be able to break the SHA-256 algorithm, casting doubt on the 300 million qubits touted by researchers.

Capriole Investments 創辦人 Charles Edwards 認為，邏輯上只要 2500 個量子位元就可能破解 SHA-256 演算法，這對研究人員吹捧的 3 億個量子位元產生了懷疑。

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