Microsoft has released a new quantum chip, Majorana 1, claiming that it proves that quantum computing will be realized “in a few years, not decades”. Quantum computing is expected to perform calculations that today’s computers take millions of years to complete, and may bring breakthroughs in fields such as medicine and chemistry. The massive possibilities of molecular combinations will make traditional computers face huge challenges.
Advantages of Quantum Chips
Quantum computers may also subvert the existing network security system, because many encryption technologies rely on the assumption that brute force cracking takes too long. The main difficulty of quantum computers lies in their basic unit – quantum bits (qubits), which are similar to bits in classical computers. They are extremely fast in calculations, but difficult to control and prone to errors.
Majorana 1 uses the world’s first topological conductor, a breakthrough material that can observe and control Majorana particles. These particles help produce more reliable and scalable quantum bits. Microsoft believes that this new technology will pave the way for quantum systems to scale to millions of quantum bits and solve complex industrial and social problems. The new architecture of the Majorana 1 processor can accommodate millions of quantum bits on a single chip. This capacity is critical for quantum computers to deliver transformative, real-world solutions. In a paper published in Nature, Microsoft researchers detail how they created and accurately measured the exotic quantum properties of topological qubits, a critical step toward enabling practical computing.
Microsoft’s Plans
The Majorana 1 chip and its topological core are designed for reliability with hardware-based error tolerance. The Microsoft team’s new measurement approach enables digital control of qubits, greatly simplifying quantum computing. Microsoft’s pursuit of topological qubit design led to its selection for a rigorous evaluation program of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The program evaluates whether innovative quantum computing technologies can build commercially valuable quantum systems faster than previously expected. Microsoft is one of two companies selected for the final phase of DARPA’s “Underexplored Systems for Useful-Scale Quantum Computing” (US2QC) program.
Microsoft is also working with Quantinuum and Atom Computing to achieve scientific and engineering breakthroughs using today’s qubits. Microsoft’s Azure Quantum integrated solution suite enables customers to advance scientific discovery using leading AI, high-performance computing, and quantum platforms. According to Microsoft, the next phase of quantum computing will require a quantum architecture that can provide millions or more qubits and perform trillions of fast and reliable operations. This goal can now be achieved in years rather than decades.
Microsoft said that its Majorana 1 chip has a lower error rate than its competitors, and an upcoming academic paper will be published in the journal Nature as a proof of its advantage. The question of when quantum computing can be put into practical use has become a hot topic in the technology industry.
Microsoft’s Statement
The chip released by Microsoft this time has far fewer qubits than competing products from Google and IBM, but Microsoft believes that due to the lower error rate, the qubits based on Majorana can be used to build a practical quantum computer with fewer qubits.
Microsoft did not say when it would be able to scale its chips to a level that is enough to surpass existing computers. Jason Zander, Microsoft’s executive vice president who is responsible for the company’s long-term strategic investments, described the Majorana 1 chip as a “high-risk, high-reward” strategy. “The hardest part was solving the physics,” Zander told Reuters. “There was no textbook. We had to invent it ourselves. We invented this capability almost atom by atom, layer by layer.”
