Towards real world application

Quantum computers will be instrumental in modeling quantum mechanical phenomena, such as the interactions of atoms and particles and the structure (or shape) of molecules. One of the tools scientists use to understand chemical structure is Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), the same science behind MRI technology. NMR acts as a molecular microscope, powerful enough to let us see the relative position of atoms, which helps us understand a molecule’s structure. Modeling molecules’ shape and dynamics is foundational in chemistry, biology and materials science, and advances that help us do this better underpin progress in fields ranging from biotechnology to solar energy to nuclear fusion.

In a proof-of-principle experiment in partnership with The University of California, Berkeley, we ran the Quantum Echoes algorithm on our Willow chip to study two molecules, one with 15 atoms and another with 28 atoms, to verify this approach. The results on our quantum computer matched those of traditional NMR, and revealed information not usually available from NMR, which is a crucial validation of our approach.

Just as the telescope and the microscope opened up new, unseen worlds, this experiment is a step toward a ‘quantum-scope’ capable of measuring previously unobservable natural phenomena. Quantum computing-enhanced NMR could become a powerful tool in drug discovery, helping determine how potential medicines bind to their targets, or in materials science for characterizing the molecular structure of new materials like polymers, battery components or even the materials that comprise our quantum bits (qubits).