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Microsoft has announced a breakthrough in quantum computing with the unveiling of its new Majorana 1 chip. The company claims that this innovation will enable the creation of quantum computers capable of solving complex, real-world problems on an industrial scale within years, rather than decades. The company said its new chip has the potential to revolutionise various fields, including pollution reduction and medical research, bringing the promise of quantum computing closer to reality. This development puts Microsoft alongside Google and IBM, which have also been actively pursuing quantum computing advancements.
Quantum computing is a revolutionary technology that harnesses the principles of particle physics to create a new generation of computers that can tackle problems beyond the capabilities of ordinary computers. However, developing quantum computers powerful enough to solve significant real-world problems has proven to be a significant challenge, with some experts estimating that they are still decades away.
"A breakthrough in quantum computing. Majorana 1 brings us closer to harnessing millions of potential qubits working together to solve the unsolvable—from new medicines to revolutionary materials—all on a single chip," the post by Microsoft read.
See the post here:
A breakthrough in quantum computing. Majorana 1 brings us closer to harnessing millions of potential qubits working together to solve the unsolvable—from new medicines to revolutionary materials—all on a single chip. #QuantumComputing #QuantumReady https://t.co/mpj8VwEQj0 pic.twitter.com/zlQoyoFURv
— Microsoft (@Microsoft) February 19, 2025
"We took a fresh approach and basically reinvented how quantum computers could work," said Chetan Nayak, a senior scientist at Microsoft.
The Majorana 1 chip utilises topological qubits and promises to be more stable and scalable than existing quantum computers developed by Google and IBM. The chip's design reduces error susceptibility, making it more reliable for practical applications.
Microsoft claims that Majorana 1 can support up to 1 million qubits on a single chip, which is a significant improvement over current quantum chips. While the company acknowledges that more engineering work is needed, this breakthrough could make practical quantum computers a reality within years, not decades.
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
Notably, Quantum computers differ significantly from regular computers, which process information in binary code (1s and 0s). Quantum computers, on the other hand, leverage the unique properties of atomic particles, known as qubits, to potentially solve complex problems that would take even the most powerful supercomputers thousands of years to resolve.
Microsoft said the Majorana 1 chip is less prone to those errors than rivals and provided as evidence a scientific paper set to be published in the academic journal Nature.
Microsoft's innovative chip design could pave the way for quantum computers that can tackle pressing challenges, such as breaking down oceanic microplastics or developing self-healing materials. As a critical field, quantum research has attracted significant investment from both the US and China, with the US also imposing export restrictions on sensitive quantum technologies.