Microsoft just announced a breakthrough in quantum computing with its new Majorana 1 chip. This chip is a step toward building quantum systems that could help develop new medicines, address tough environmental issues, and create improved construction materials.
The Majorana 1 chip has 8 qubits, but Microsoft aims to scale up to 1 million qubits in a compact processor. That number is significant because qubits are the building blocks of quantum computing, and most current quantum chips only have 50 to a few hundred qubits. IBM’s 1,121-qubit Condor, introduced in 2023, stands out in this landscape, but Microsoft’s confidence lies in its ability to achieve much more.
Chetan Nayak, a technical fellow at Microsoft, emphasizes that reaching a million qubits is not just a benchmark—it’s essential for tackling some of the world’s biggest challenges. To create this chip, Microsoft’s researchers developed a specific material stack of indium arsenide and aluminum. They worked on it at the atomic level and used magnetic fields to generate Majorana particles. This process leads to the formation of topological qubits, designed for improved data reliability.
One of the primary hurdles in quantum computing is qubit instability, which makes error correction crucial and limits the number of qubits that can be reliably used in computing. Microsoft claims its Topological Core architecture effectively addresses this issue.
In the same field, Google’s Quantum AI unit recently introduced the 105-qubit Willow chip, showcasing a scalable error correction method. Similarly, AWS has announced its own advancements. Both Microsoft and Google have published technical papers on their respective architectures, highlighting differing approaches to quantum computing.
Jack Gold, principal analyst at J.Gold Associates, notes that while quantum computing is a hot topic, it’s still a landscape of experimentation with no single dominant method. He believes practical quantum computers for businesses could emerge in the next five to ten years, handily beating Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s prediction of two decades. Currently, the existing small quantum systems are limited but show promise.
Right now, quantum computers are primarily used by research institutions and for specialized applications, with companies like D-Wave Systems leading the way. For quantum computing to become mainstream, developers need to create supportive technologies, like programming languages tailored for quantum applications. Additionally, the requirement for near-zero operational temperatures remains a costly challenge.
Antone Gonsalves, an editor at large for Informa TechTarget, reports on these rapidly evolving trends. With 25 years in tech journalism, he’s well-placed to cover developments in this exciting field. If you have a news tip, you can reach out directly to him.