On February 19, Microsoft has introduced Majorana 1, a quantum chip that uses topological qubits for enhanced stability and scalability. Unlike traditional quantum processors, it minimizes errors and supports millions of qubits, bringing large-scale quantum computing closer to reality.
While quantum computers exist today, they are not yet fully practical or widely available. With Majorana 1, Microsoft aims to build “quantum computers capable of solving meaningful, industrial-scale problems in years, not decades.”
Majorana 1 is powered by a unique Topological Core architecture, which could potentially scale up to a million qubits. Qubits are the fundamental building blocks of quantum computers, and topological qubits are believed to be more stable and resistant to errors than traditional qubits.
Microsoft claimed that it has successfully fabricated the first topological qubits using topoconductors made of materials such as indium arsenide and aluminum.
First theorized over 80 years ago by Italian physicist Ettore Majorana, Majorana fermions are particles that are their own antiparticles. However, there has been no physical proof of their existence.