China’s Zuchongzhi-3 quantum computer and Google’s Willow processor represent two contrasting approaches in the race for quantum supremacy. Both 105-qubit superconducting systems push computational boundaries but prioritize different technical milestones.
Zuchongzhi-3, developed by Chinese researchers, demonstrates remarkable raw computational power. In a demanding random circuit sampling task, it processed one million samples using 83 qubits over 32 cycles in just a few hundred seconds—a feat that would take the world’s fastest classical supercomputer billions of years to replicate. This achievement highlights China’s rapid progress in scaling up quantum hardware and achieving unprecedented quantum speedup.
In contrast, Google’s Willow chip focuses on improving reliability through advanced quantum error correction. Willow was the first to show that logical, error-corrected qubits can outperform physical qubits in fidelity, reaching a logical qubit error rate below 0.2% per cycle. While Willow’s coherence and gate fidelities are marginally higher, its main contribution is laying the groundwork for scalable, fault-tolerant quantum computing—an essential step for practical real-world applications.
Zuchongzhi 3.0 Quantum Chip: Technical Analysis and Implications