Microsoft has unveiled its new quantum chip, Majorana 1, which it claims will enable quantum computers to solve meaningful, industrial-scale problems within years rather than decades. The chip utilises a “breakthrough” material called topoconductor, which can observe and control Majorana particles. This allows for the creation of more reliable and scalable qubits, the building blocks of […]
Microsoft has unveiled its new quantum chip, Majorana 1, which it claims will enable quantum computers to solve meaningful, industrial-scale problems within years rather than decades.
The chip utilises a “breakthrough” material called topoconductor, which can observe and control Majorana particles. This allows for the creation of more reliable and scalable qubits, the building blocks of quantum computers.
Thanks to this innovation, Microsoft asserts that Majorana 1 will be capable of addressing some of the most complex industrial and societal challenges.
The company suggested that the chip could potentially break down microplastics into harmless byproducts or create self-healing materials for applications in construction, manufacturing, and healthcare.
The topoconductor and the new type of chip they enable offer a path to developing quantum systems that can scale to a million qubits.
“Whatever you’re doing in the quantum space needs to have a path to a million qubits. If it doesn’t, you’re going to hit a wall before you get to the scale at which you can solve the really important problems that motivate us,” said Chetan Nayak, Microsoft technical fellow.
“We have actually worked out a path to a million,” Nayak claimed.
According to Microsoft, the topoconductor is a newly developed material that creates a new state of matter, or “topological state”—not gas, liquid, or solid—allowing for a more stable qubit that is fast, small, and can be digitally controlled “without the trade-offs required by current alternatives.”
The announcement marks a significant advance in quantum technology as well as AI, according to industry expert Enrique Lizaso Olmos, co-founder and CEO, Multiverse Computing. Multiverse computing is a quantum software company specialising in optimisation and compression techniques that make AI models more efficient.
Reacting to the Microsoft announcement, Lizaso Olmos said: “Microsoft’s quantum processor news is a significant advance in quantum hardware and reflects the company’s 20-year commitment to scientific research and willingness to take on a very difficult challenge. The combination of quantum tech and AI is another important milestone in the progress toward fault-tolerant quantum computers.”
