Jonah Flanagan || Issue 15 || March 5, 2025
Microsoft has made a new leap in the technology world with the brand new Majorana 1, the world’s first quantum chip powered by a new Topological Core architecture. This architecture is designed to enable quantum computers to solve meaningful, industrial-scale problems in years, not decades. The chip leverages a new type of material called a top conductor, which can observe and control Majorana particles to produce more reliable and scalable qubits (the building blocks of quantum computers). This new architecture offers a clear path to fitting a million qubits on a single chip, which is a needed thresh old for quantum computers to deliver transformative, real-world solutions in fields like materials science, chemistry, and healthcare. “We took a step back and said ‘OK, let’s invent the transistor for the quantum age. What properties does it need to have?’” said Chetan Nayak, Microsoft technical fellow. “And that’s really how we got here – 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,” The key breakthroughs enabling this progress include developing a new materials stack to create stable Majorana particles, as well as a new measurement approach that allows the qubits to be digitally controlled rather than relying on fine-tuned analog control. This progress validates Microsoft’s choice years ago to pursue a topological qubit design, which was a high-risk, high reward scientific and engineering challenge that is now paying off.
Photo Credits: John Brecher for Microsoft
The Hudsonian 