Microsoft creates chip it says demonstrates quantum computers are ‘years, not decades’ away

Microsoft unveiled its new chip, Majorana 1, which it claims brings quantum computing closer to reality, estimating that the technology could be just “years, not decades” away from becoming mainstream. Majorana 1 is the first Quantum Processing Unit (QPU) powered by a Topological Core, designed to scale up to a million qubits on a single chip. The chip uses indium arsenide and aluminum and features a superconducting nanowire to detect particles. It is engineered to reduce error rates compared to current quantum processors.

The chip is considered more error-resistant than its competitors, with Microsoft backing this claim with a scientific paper published in Nature. Quantum computing promises to solve complex problems, like those in medicine and chemistry, that current classical computers cannot tackle. Although Microsoft didn’t provide a clear timeline for scaling the chip, it emphasized that the breakthrough is expected sooner than anticipated.

Majorana 1 was developed in Microsoft’s labs in Washington state and Denmark, with Jason Zander, the company’s EVP, calling it a “high risk, high reward” strategy.

Source: CGTN