Microsoft has announced a significant breakthrough in quantum computing by creating the Majorana 1 processor. This chip uses an exotic state of matter called topological qubits to store and process information. The Majorana 1 chip is the result of nearly two decades of research. It uses quasiparticles called Majorana zero modes to represent ones and zeros for calculations.
Commenting on Microsoft's claim it could bring quantum computing in years, Professor George Booth, @KingsNMES, said the research represented an “impressive technical achievement” in the @guardian.https://t.co/9Q7xKbZLfW#ScienceAtKings #QuantumComputing @KCL_Physics
— King's College London (@KingsCollegeLon) February 20, 2025
These quasiparticles are formed when the chip is cooled to near absolute zero, causing electrons to pair up into Cooper pairs. Any unpaired electrons transform into the Majorana zero modes used for processing.
A couple reflections on the quantum computing breakthrough we just announced…
Most of us grew up learning there are three main types of matter that matter: solid, liquid, and gas. Today, that changed.
After a nearly 20 year pursuit, we’ve created an entirely new state of… pic.twitter.com/Vp4sxMHNjc
— Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) February 19, 2025
Each qubit in the Majorana 1 chip consists of two nanowires made from indium arsenide, connected by a third wire. Adjacent to this is a quantum dot, a small semiconducting crystal crucial for reading data. Changes in the qubit’s capacitance caused by the creation of Majorana zero modes are measured by projecting microwaves onto the quantum dot and evaluating how they bounce back.
Well-informed comments from Jason Alicea about today's Microsoft Quantum announcement:
Jason Alicea, a professor of theoretical physics at the California Institute of Technology, questioned whether the company had actually built a topological qubit, saying the behavior of…
— John Preskill (@preskill) February 19, 2025
Microsoft announces Majorana 1 breakthrough
Microsoft claims this qubit architecture offers enhanced reliability compared to current quantum chips. Topological qubits have a significantly lower error frequency, occurring only once every millisecond.
This could address the high error rates that have hindered the development of practical quantum computers. The Majorana 1 chip’s design also supports future scalability. Microsoft states that this architecture “offers a clear path to fit a million qubits on a single chip” in the future.
This could outperform existing quantum machines and mark a significant milestone in the field. However, while the peer-reviewed paper published in Nature verifies some of Microsoft’s claims, many hurdles remain to overcome. The scientific community will closely observe the performance of the Majorana 1 chip and compare it to other quantum technologies.
Microsoft’s breakthrough could accelerate advancements in numerous fields, from battery technology to medicine and artificial intelligence. It positions the company as a potential leader in developing practical and powerful quantum computers.
Photo by; Mathew Schwartz on Unsplash
