Microsoft launched a new quantum chip called Majorana 1. This chip uses a Topological Core architecture – a special setup for quantum computing. According to Microsoft, Majorana 1 could make practical quantum computing happen in years, not decades.

The New York Times has covered the launch of the new quantum chip (unpaywalled copy).

Majorana 1 relies on a topoconductor. A topoconductor is a new material that controls Majorana particles. Majorana particles (technically, quasiparticles) are particles, predicted by Ettore Majorana in the 1930s, which are their own antiparticles. Majorana particles, which don’t exist naturally but must be created in special materials, help make qubits tougher against errors. Topoconductors make qubits tougher and easier to scale to a million.

Microsoft compares this to semiconductors. Semiconductors power today’s phones and computers. Topoconductors could do the same for quantum machines. Chetan Nayak, a Microsoft expert, said they built this chip like a new transistor. A transistor is a tiny switch in electronics. They aimed to create one for the quantum age.

According to Microsoft, this technology could scale to a million qubits. This size matters because big quantum computers can fix real issues. They might break down microplastics or invent self-healing materials. Current computers can’t match that power. Nayak stressed needing a million qubits to tackle huge challenges.

A new topological state of matter

The topoconductor creates a new state of matter. It’s not solid, liquid, or gas, but a topological state. This makes qubits fast, small, and steady. A study published in Nature describes how Microsoft made and measured these qubits. They used indium arsenide and aluminum, built atom by atom. This tricky process brought Majorana particles to life.

Majorana 1 fights errors naturally. Most quantum chips struggle with mistakes. This one handles them at the hardware level. It also uses digital controls, not fiddly analog ones. That simplifies everything. Microsoft started this risky project years ago. Now, it’s paying off with eight qubits on one chip.

The company works with DARPA, which picked Microsoft to build a big, useful quantum computer soon. Majorana 1 could solve chemistry or materials puzzles. It might even pair with artificial intelligence (AI) to design perfect solutions fast.

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