TECH – Chinese scientists at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) have unveiled Zuchongzhi-3, a next-generation quantum processor that achieves a performance leap of unprecedented scale. The processor is reported to be 10¹⁵ times faster than the world’s most powerful supercomputers—a speed advantage equivalent to one quadrillion times.
Zuchongzhi-3 is built with 105 superconducting transmon qubits arranged in a 15×7 grid. These qubits, engineered from tantalum, niobium, and aluminum, are designed to minimize noise while maintaining exceptional computational stability. In testing, the chip delivered single-qubit fidelity of 99.90%, two-qubit fidelity of 99.62%, and readout fidelity of 99.13%, with a coherence time of 72 microseconds. Such stability allows it to run more advanced quantum algorithms than ever before.
In benchmark trials using random circuit sampling (RCS)—a standard test for quantum performance—the processor completed calculations in seconds that would take classical supercomputers, including the U.S. Frontier system, an estimated 5.9 billion years to finish. It also surpassed Google’s latest Willow quantum chip by a factor of one million.
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Cited from Kompas.com, the research team highlighted improvements in error correction, qubit connectivity, and scalability, critical factors for bringing quantum computing closer to real-world applications. The system also demonstrated resilience through distance-7 surface-code error correction, a key step toward more fault-tolerant machines.
This achievement cements China’s position at the cutting edge of quantum research, surpassing earlier global milestones such as Google’s Sycamore and China’s own Jiuzhang photon-based platform. Experts note that processors like Zuchongzhi-3 could soon be applied in fields such as cryptography, drug discovery, new materials design, and complex system simulations.
With Zuchongzhi-3, China signals a transformative leap in computational science, one that challenges traditional paradigms and underscores the potential of quantum architectures to reshape global technology landscapes.
