13,000x faster: Quantum Echoes algorithm outperforms supercomputers on molecular task

The field of quantum computing reached a new landmark, as Google’s Quantum AI team announced they had achieved the first-ever verifiable quantum advantage on hardware. Running the new Quantum Echoes algorithm on their Willow quantum chip, researchers demonstrated a computational speed increase of 13,000 times over the fastest classical supercomputers for a specific task.

This achievement moves the technology past theoretical demonstrations of power, what was previously called “quantum supremacy”, toward a system that produces reliable, scientifically useful results.

Today, we’re announcing a major breakthrough that marks a significant step forward in the world of quantum computing. For the first time in history, our teams at @GoogleQuantumAI demonstrated that a quantum computer can successfully run a verifiable algorithm, 13,000x faster than…

— Google AI (@GoogleAI) October 22, 2025

The New Standard: Verifiability

Quantum advantage simply means a quantum computer solves a problem faster than a conventional one. Verifiable quantum advantage adds a layer of essential rigour: the outcome must be repeatable on other quantum computers of the same calibre, and the result must align with physical reality. This repeatability confirms the calculation is accurate and trustworthy, a necessary quality for any tool used in science or industry.

According to Hartmut Neven, Founder and Lead of Google Quantum AI, this development provides the basis for scalable verification, bringing quantum computers significantly closer to becoming reliable industrial instruments. This breakthrough builds on the team's work in 2024, when the Willow chip demonstrated dramatically lower error rates, a nearly 30-year challenge in the field.

Quantum Echoes and Molecular Structure

The algorithm, Quantum Echoes, is formally known as an out-of-time-ordered correlator (OTOC). It is a complex quantum mechanical tool that can study the structure of systems in nature, including molecules, magnets, and even black holes.

The algorithm uses a precise time-reversal technique, described as an "echo." Researchers send a signal into the quantum system, perturb one qubit, then reverse the system's time evolution to capture an amplified "echo" of the original signal. This process is exceptionally sensitive, allowing it to reveal subtle structural information.

In a proof-of-principle experiment with the University of California, Berkeley, the team applied Quantum Echoes to study two organic molecules. The quantum chip successfully computed structural properties of molecules with up to 28 atoms. The results validated the approach by matching traditional Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) data while also providing novel insights.

The team calls this new capability a "molecular ruler" because it measures longer distances within a molecule than current NMR methods can. The potential applications are vast, especially in the realm of molecular modelling, which is foundational to drug discovery and materials science. Using a quantum-enhanced NMR could help scientists determine how new medicines bind to their targets or characterise the structure of next-generation polymers and battery materials.

This verified quantum advantage marks a clear path toward the third milestone on the Google Quantum AI hardware roadmap: building a long-lived logical qubit, which is a crucial step toward fully error-corrected quantum computers.