Microsoft Unveils Majorana 1 Quantum Chip, Opening New Path in Quantum Computing

Microsoft unveiled the Majorana 1 quantum chip on February 19, 2025, which is the world's first quantum processor with a topological core architecture and is expected to enable the construction of quantum computers capable of solving industrial-scale problems in the near future. The revolutionary innovation of the chip is its ability to observe and control Majorana particles, resulting in more reliable and scalable qubits, which are the building blocks of quantum computers.

Microsoft spent nearly 20 years working on this technology, which uses a completely new type of material, the so-called "topoconductor" made of indium arsenide and aluminum. The chip contains eight topological qubits, and according to the company, this architecture makes it possible to place one million qubits on a single chip that fits in the palm of your hand. Anything you do in the quantum space must have a path to a million qubits. If it doesn't, you're going to hit a wall before you reach the scale where you can solve those significant problems that motivate us, stated Chetan Nayak, a technical fellow at Microsoft. The new technology can be digitally controlled, unlike current solutions requiring fine-tuning each qubit.

The Majorana 1 chip offers a more stable system than current quantum computers, as error resistance is built at the hardware level, reducing sensitivity to environmental noise. Microsoft plans to integrate the technology into the Azure Quantum service by 2030, potentially achieving significant advances in designing self-healing materials, breaking down microplastics, or developing climate change-resistant plants. Larger-scale operation of the technology remains to be proven. Still, Microsoft has already received significant support from DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), which finances the development of technologies with military significance in the USA.

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Microsoft’s Majorana 1 chip carves new path for quantum computing - Source

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A new Microsoft chip could lead to more stable quantum computers

The company says it is on track to build a new kind of machine based on topological qubits.

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