Majorana 1: Microsoft’s response to Google in quantum computing
Microsoft’s new QPU is designed to handle up to one million qubits on a single chip — an essential step toward real-world use
Imagine solving problems in minutes that would take today's fastest supercomputers thousands of years. That is the promise of quantum computing — and Microsoft has just taken a giant leap forward. The company has unveiled Majorana 1, the world's first Quantum Processing Unit (QPU) powered by a topological core, bringing us closer to practical quantum applications.
For quantum computing to become viable, it must scale and be reliable. Microsoft's new QPU is designed to handle up to one million qubits on a single chip — an essential step toward real-world use. The innovation lies in a hardware-protected topological qubit built using a new material called a topoconductor.
Published in Nature journal, Microsoft's research confirms its potential for advancing quantum computing. By combining indium arsenide, a semiconductor, with aluminium, a superconductor, Microsoft has created nanowires containing Majorana Zero Modes (MZMs). These MZMs safeguard quantum information from external interference, making computations more stable.
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Reading this hidden quantum data is a challenge, but Microsoft has devised a solution using digital switches and quantum dots for accurate measurement. The company has also simplified error correction by replacing complex analogue signals with digital pulses, making large-scale control feasible.
Recognized by DARPA, Microsoft is in the final phase of the US2QC program, working toward utility-scale quantum computers. Within a few years, it aims to build a fault-tolerant quantum prototype, potentially revolutionizing fields like medicine, materials science, and energy.
