Microsoft has recently unveiled a groundbreaking advancement in quantum computing with the introduction of its new quantum chip, Majorana 1. This innovative quantum processor serves a role similar to that of transistors in classical computer semiconductor chips, paving the way for the development of million-qubit systems housed within a single, relatively compact quantum computing refrigerator.
Such a powerful quantum computer could surpass the combined capabilities of all classical computers currently in existence, unlocking immense potential for applications in various fields, including the design of new battery materials, drug discovery, simulation of nuclear fusion reactors, and the development of post-quantum cryptography methods, among others.
Notably, Microsoft has effectively created a new state of matter—a topological superconductor—to facilitate this technological leap. The Majorana 1 chip derives its name from the Majorana zero mode, a unique and enigmatic quasiparticle that behaves like half of an electron and is its own antiparticle, distinguishing it from both matter and antimatter. To illustrate, one might think of a Majorana zero mode as akin to a pair of shoes, where it embodies both the left and right shoe simultaneously. Microsoft leverages these Majorana zero modes because they can store quantum information in a manner that is inherently resistant to errors.
After nearly two decades of research and development, Microsoft anticipates that this breakthrough will lead to the creation of commercially viable quantum computers within the next five years. The company has already developed an eight-qubit proof of concept, which has been submitted to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and has secured Microsoft’s position in the final phase of DARPA’s Underexplored Systems for Utility-Scale Quantum Computing (US2QC) program. This achievement marks a significant milestone in a lengthy journey.
In fact, this initiative represents the longest-running research and development program in Microsoft’s history, spanning 19 and a half years under multiple CEOs and organizational structures since Chetan Nayak joined the project in 2005. Over 160 researchers, scientists, and engineers contributed to the publication detailing this new type of qubit, a testament to the collaborative effort involved in this complex endeavor.
The scope of the challenge was substantial. Just as scientists and engineers had to invent transistors for mid-20th-century computers, Microsoft recognized the necessity of developing quantum transistors to enable scalable quantum computing. “Whatever you’re doing in the quantum space needs to have a path to a million qubits. If it doesn’t, you’re going to hit a wall before you reach the scale necessary to tackle the significant problems that drive our motivation,” Nayak explained. “We have actually worked out a path to a million.”
Interestingly, Microsoft’s timeline for achieving usable quantum computers aligns with those of several other competitors in the quantum space. Jan Goetz, CEO and co-founder of IQM Quantum Computers, stated, “We are focusing on quantum simulations, optimization, and quantum machine learning to achieve quantum advantage by 2027.” Meanwhile, Dr. Chris Ballance, co-founder and CEO of Oxford Ionics, anticipates delivering 200-qubit systems to customers within the next two years.
However, the prospect of a million qubits presents a different challenge altogether. Microsoft emphasized the significance of this development in its press release, stating, “All the world’s current computers operating together can’t accomplish what a one-million-qubit quantum computer will be capable of achieving.”
