Google shows "magic state cultivation" works on real quantum hardware, cutting errors 40x

Zach DavidsonOct 15, 2026

Magic states are special prepared quantum states that let a quantum computer run the operations it needs to go beyond classical computing. Making them has been so costly that estimates put it at up to 95% of a machine's capacity. Google's Willow chip just ran the 2024 cultivation protocol in practice, hitting 99.99% logical fidelity, a big step toward smaller, practical quantum computers. Still to be proven at scale.