Microsoft says it created a new state of matter to power the world's most advanced computers

LOS ANGELES - Microsoft says it has created a revolutionary computer chip that harnesses a new state of matter to pave the way for the most powerful quantum computers ever built.

The company unveiled the Majorana 1 chip on Wednesday, calling it a major step toward scalable, fault-tolerant quantum computing. 

The chip, developed over nearly two decades, was detailed in the journal Nature and uses a topological superconductor—a material that is neither solid, liquid, nor gas—to build more reliable qubits, the building blocks of quantum computers.

"All the computers in the world operating together today can’t do what a single one-million-qubit quantum computer will be able to do," Microsoft said in a blog post.

What makes the Majorana 1 chip different?

The backstory:

Unlike traditional quantum computers that require thousands of qubits to correct errors, Microsoft claims that its approach requires far fewer qubits due to lower error rates. The chip’s foundation relies on a Majorana fermion, a subatomic particle first theorized in the 1930s that reduces the errors that typically plague quantum systems.

"Whatever you’re doing in the quantum space needs to have a path to a million qubits," Microsoft technical fellow Chetan Nayak said in a statement. "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."

What are qubits, and why do they matter?

Most computers today use bits—tiny pieces of information that can be either 0 or 1—to process data. Every app, website, and game you use is built on this simple system of zeros and ones.

Quantum computers, however, use qubits (short for quantum bits). Unlike regular bits, qubits can be both 0 and 1 at the same time—this is called superposition. Because of this, quantum computers can perform many calculations at once, making them exponentially more powerful than even the best supercomputers today.

Think of it like this: If a normal computer is like flipping a single coin over and over to get heads or tails, a quantum computer is like spinning a whole bunch of coins at the same time—considering all possibilities at once before deciding on an answer.

This power could help solve problems that are impossible for today’s computers, like discovering new medicines, improving artificial intelligence, or creating unbreakable cybersecurity.

How the chip works

Microsoft said Majorana 1 was fabricated using indium arsenide and aluminum, featuring a superconducting nanowire to observe Majorana particles. Unlike competing quantum chips, Majorana 1 can be controlled using standard computing equipment.

While the chip currently contains fewer qubits than quantum processors from IBM and Google, Microsoft argues its design scales more efficiently.

How soon could quantum computers become a reality?

Big picture view:

Microsoft has not provided a specific timeline for when the chip will power fully functional quantum computers but said in a blog post that the moment is "years, not decades" away.

Microsoft’s Jason Zander, executive vice president overseeing long-term strategic projects, described Majorana 1 as a "high risk, high reward" innovation.

"The hardest part has been solving the physics. There is no textbook for this, and we had to invent it," Zander said in an interview with Reuters. "We literally have invented the ability to go create this thing, atom by atom, layer by layer."

Experts weigh in on Microsoft’s quantum breakthrough

What they're saying:

Philip Kim, a professor of physics at Harvard University who was not involved in the research, called the announcement an "exciting development" and said it places Microsoft at the forefront of quantum research.

Kim also noted that Microsoft’s hybrid approach, using both traditional semiconductors and exotic superconductors, could be an effective way to scale up quantum chips.

"Although there’s no demonstration [of large-scale scaling] yet, what they are doing is really successful," Kim told Reuters.