Microsoft's Majorna 1. Image: Microsoft
This new chip is more stable and scalable, according to Microsoft’s quantum research team.
Microsoft believes quantum computers can solve industrial-scale problems within years, not decades, with its new chip, the Majorana 1. According to the company, it is the “world’s first” quantum processing unit (QPU) powered by a Topological Core – a new type of chip which can potentially scale to a million qubits.
Yesterday’s (19 February) announcement builds on the company’s recent breakthrough on the “world’s first topoconductor”, said Microsoft, a special type of material combining a semiconductor and a superconductor which can control Majorana particles to produce more reliable and scalable qubits – the building blocks for quantum computers. Majorana particles were first described by theoretical physicist Ettore Majorana in 1937.
“It’s the particular combination, the quality and the important details in our new materials stack that have enabled a new kind of qubit and ultimately our entire architecture,” said Chetan Nayak, a Microsoft technical fellow.
“It is entirely a new state of matter,” explained Zulfi Alam, the corporate VP of quantum at Microsoft. “In a regular chip the computing is done by electrons – we don’t use electrons for computing – we use Majoranas for computing.”
This new architecture allows the QPU to potentially fit a million qubits on a single chip, which Microsoft believes will allow quantum computers to deliver “transformative, real-world solutions”, such as breaking down microplastics into harmless byproducts or inventing self-healing materials for construction, manufacturing or healthcare. The company has published its findings in the Nature journal.
“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 get to the scale at which you can solve the really important problems that motivate us,” Nayak said. “We have actually worked out a path to a million.”
While Alam said: “Our leadership has been working on this program for the last 17 years. It’s the longest-running research program in the company,”
“After 17 years, we are showcasing results that are not just incredible, they’re real. They will fundamentally redefine how the next stage of the quantum journey takes place.”
Last year, a research team based at the University of Manchester created a new ultra-pure form of the element silicon which could help scientists create more stable qubits to help advance quantum computing.
Don’t miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic’s digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.
