Thought Leadership
Microsoft has unveiled a new quantum computer chip. According to the company, the chip, known as Majorana 1, is based on a new type of material called Topoconductor, which uses a previously unknown state of matter – neither solid nor liquid or gaseous, but a topological state.
Majorana 1 uses eight topological qubits based on a combination of indium arsenide (a semiconductor) and aluminum (a superconductor).
The development of this special combination of materials presented the researchers with particular challenges. “The difficulty of developing the right materials to create the exotic particles and their associated topological state of matter is why most quantum computing projects focus on other types of qubits,” Microsoft explained in a blog post.
The key advantage of this technology lies in its potential stability and resistance to errors, which addresses one of the main problems of previous quantum computers. The special material combination of indium arsenide and aluminum enables the creation of these topological qubits, which are theoretically more robust against environmental influences and interference than conventional qubits.
With this approach, Microsoft now wants to pave the way for chips that can perform complex calculations in materials research and health research. Quantum computers are special computers that can perform calculations that would take hundreds or even thousands of years for conventional computers – from smartphones to laptops.
The key difference lies in the use of qubits. Unlike classical bits, which can be either 0 or 1, the laws of quantum mechanics allow qubits to be in the state 0 and 1 at the same time – a property known as quantum superposition.
Discrepancy between announcement and publication
However, there is a notable discrepancy between Microsoft’s announcement and the scientific paper published at the same time in the scientific journal “Nature”. While Microsoft speaks of a “world’s first topological qubit”, the Nature publication only mentions “significant progress towards the realization of a topological qubit”.
Chetan Nayak, who is responsible for the development of the topological quantum computer at Microsoft, explains this discrepancy by saying that the publication was submitted a year ago. Since then, considerable progress has been made, including the development of a chip with eight topological qubits. These further findings were presented this week at a meeting with over a hundred scientists. However, a peer-reviewed publication on these more recent results is still pending.
Arms race of the tech giants
The Microsoft announcement comes just two months after Google’s presentation of the “Willow” quantum chip. Google particularly emphasizes the improved error correction for calculations with a higher number of qubits – a problem that has occupied researchers for years.
Despite the impressive announcements by both technology companies, it remains unclear when quantum computing will actually be used in practical applications. Experts’ opinions differ widely.
Unlike the recently unveiled Maia 100 AI chip, Microsoft is not planning to offer the Majorana 1 chip via its Azure cloud. Instead, the company sees the chip as an important step towards an ambitious goal: the development of a quantum chip with one million qubits.
Microsoft’s production strategy is also remarkable: unlike with traditional semiconductors, the company does not rely on established manufacturers such as TSMC, but produces the components of the Majorana 1 itself in the USA. This is currently possible because production is still on a small scale. “We want to reach a few hundred qubits before we talk about commercial reliability,” Jason Zander, Executive Vice President at Microsoft, told CNBC.
Geopolitical dimension
The race for quantum computing supremacy has long since taken on a geopolitical dimension. Both the USA and China are investing billions in quantum computing research. Both economic powers are striving to establish themselves as leaders in this pioneering field of technology.
Microsoft’s Majorana 1 announcement could be an important step in positioning the USA in international competition. Whether the company’s topological approach will prevail over competing technologies remains to be seen.
