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Quantum Computing: QUOPS Score Reveals True Potential
15 Sep
Summary
- QUOPS score measures quantum computer qubits and operations.
- New benchmark determines if quantum computers are useful.
- Current quantum computers score below needs for key tasks.
Assessing the true utility of quantum computers has long been a challenge. Now, a new benchmark called the QUOPS score may provide the answer. QUOPS, or quantum universal operation performance system, measures a quantum computer's number of qubits and its capacity for computational operations.
This score can be directly compared against the QUOPS requirement for specific algorithms. If a quantum computer's QUOPS score is insufficient, it cannot perform the desired computation. For instance, calculations related to the FeMoco molecule or current cryptography methods demand QUOPS scores vastly exceeding those of today's leading quantum machines.
Researchers calculated QUOPS scores for quantum computers from Google, IBM, and Quantinuum, finding none surpassed 2000. Even a fault-tolerant configuration of Quantinuum's Helios-1 achieved only about 40 QUOPS.
The development of fault-tolerant quantum computing, which corrects errors, is seen as the future. Proctor suggests the turning point will be when logical qubits in fault-tolerant systems achieve higher QUOPS scores than ordinary qubits, paving the way for matching scores with useful algorithms.
