Microsoft has announced a breakthrough in quantum computing with the launch of the new “Majorana 1″ quantum chip processor. The processor uses a new architecture based on a 17-year-researched material, Topoconductor. It can control special quantum particles called “Majorana particles” to improve the stability of qubits.
Qubits are at the heart of quantum computing. Microsoft’s research has enabled the Majorana 1 processor to integrate nearly a million qubits into chips the size of ordinary computer CPUs, paving the way for future solutions to complex problems in healthcare, materials science, and other fields, such as breaking down microplastics, developing self-healing materials, optimizing logistics supply chains, and even cracking high-strength cryptography.
Breakthrough new materials: Topconductor and Majorana particles
Microsoft says the chip’s core technology lies in Topconductor, a new state of matter that creates something that is neither solid, liquid, nor gas. Topological conductors can control Majorana particles, which are theoretically special quantum particles successfully induced by Microsoft through magnetic fields and superconducting materials. Microsoft further uses its properties to build more stable topological qubits. These qubits are more resistant to noise and interference than existing technologies, reducing the risk of data loss.
Microsoft points out that this breakthrough is a technological innovation and marks the next stage of quantum computing. The company has been selected by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop a large-scale quantum computer, which aims to complete the development of a practical quantum computer by 2033, much earlier than other predictions.
