CIOInsider India Magazine

“Most of us grew up learning there are three main types of matter that matter: solid, liquid, and gas. Today, that changed,” wrote Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on X (formerly Twitter). Microsoft has unveiled a quantum chip called Majorana 1, powered by a novel topological core architecture, which allows it to scale million qubits on a single chip. In other words, the company has taken a major step forward that could make practical quantum computing arrive much sooner than anticipated. For instance, the broken screen on your iPad can automatically fix itself; that’s how close we are to making quantum computing go from theory to reality. Through the chip, the company believes industrial-scale problems can be solved in a quarter of the time it takes in today's computers.

Microsoft’s Different Approach to Developing Majorana 1
Time and again, the basic building blocks of quantum computers, qubits, have proven to be brittle and not quite deployable for research. They are also incredibly unstable, yet they can perform intricate computations at unexpected rates. They cannot promise large-scale quantum computing, as errors can be caused by even the tiniest disruption or movement in their surroundings.

Hence, Microsoft took a different approach. It developed the chip in collaboration with Quantinuum and Atom Computing, two quantum computing startups, as well as Microsoft's Azure Quantum platform, which blends artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC), and quantum systems. Under the stewardship of Dr. Chetan Nayak, a Microsoft Technical Fellow and one of the top physicists in the area of quantum materials, the tech giant focused on a special kind of particle known as Majorana fermions. Initially introduced in 1937, these particles have an astounding ability to shield quantum information from disruptions.

By employing Majorana fermions, Microsoft created topological qubits, which are highly error-resistant. Now comes the role of a new material called the topoconductor. This material can produce and manipulate Majorana fermions, opening possibilities not only theoretical but also functional quantum computers.

Majorana 1 is the First QPU Powered by Topological Core
The first-ever Quantum Processing Unit (QPU) powered by a Topological Core is Majorana 1, most likely a navigator to reliable quantum computing devices. Microsoft declared that this is the path it chose to go from single-qubit devices to arrays that allow for quantum error rectification. The Majorana 1 is a revolutionary step toward usable quantum computing.

As the last leg of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Underexplored Systems for Utility-Scale Quantum Computing (US2QC) program, Microsoft also revealed that it plans to build an FTP of a scalable quantum computer in years, not decades.

These materials could aid Microsoft with developing topological superconductivity, which is a brand-new, theoretically-only state of matter. The development sprung from the outcome of the tech giant’s in-depth work in the design and manufacturing of gate-defined devices that fuse the semiconductor indium arsenide with the superconductor aluminum. These devices create topological superconducting nanowires with Majorana Zero Modes (MZMs) at the ends when they are cooled to almost absolute zero and can be adjusted using magnetic fields.

Real-World Applications Far Beyond Lab Settings
The Majorana 1 chip’s potential can change the way we put effort into solving global issues. Quantum simulations can be used to manufacture catalysts that lower carbon emissions or degrade microplastics that contaminate oceans and other water bodies, and even fight world hunger by enhancing agricultural practices.

Researchers could create materials that can mend themselves, like repairing car door scratches or bridge breaches.

By understanding molecular interactions at a quantum level, they could create more powerful medications or medicines. Simulations driven by quantum mechanics could enhance the modeling of enzymes, which can, in turn, improve soil fertility, boost crop yields, and promote sustainable food production, particularly in areas that provide challenges.

Compared to traditional computers, quantum computers can more accurately model the behavior of molecules and atoms, which can aid in the discovery of novel materials or the improvement of current ones. High-temperature superconductors, for instance, have the potential to completely transform sectors, including electronics, energy, and aircraft.

Quantum computing can help with optimizing artificial intelligence, leading to much faster and more effective machine learning models. This could be beneficial in the areas of deep learning and speech recognition.

Microsoft Made Unleashed a New Era in Quantum Computing
Compared to IBM and Google, which hold market supremacy on superconducting circuits and trapped-ion devices for qubit production, this research represents a change. These systems have limited practical uses due to stability and scalability issues.

Next, Microsoft plans to use a Tetron, a single-qubit device, to create a scalable system. One of the main challenges in quantum computing is error resistance, which this qubit will overcome by utilizing topological features.

Additionally, the tech giant is currently aiming to switch to an eight-qubit architecture. It seeks to reduce the number of physical qubits required for reliable quantum operations and increase the viability of large-scale quantum computing by implementing error detection for two logical qubits.

Microsoft is not the first contestant in the quest for quantum computing. Google proved itself as a market leader in 2019 after achieving quantum supremacy, and IBM developed processors with over 1,000 qubits. Companies like Alibaba and Baidu are making notable strides in their own way in China’s quantum computing space.