Earlier this year, Microsoft unveiled a new chip it says could lead to the adoption of quantum computing in “years not decades”. To mark World Quantum Day Dalvinder Kular, assistant editor at National Technology News, investigates what this latest advancement really means for the future of the technology and whether it is as much of a milestone as the tech giant claims.

Quantum computing seemed to take a gigantic leap earlier this year when Microsoft announced its latest breakthrough with the technology. The launch of its quantum computing chip Majorana 1 caused great excitement in the technology industry, with the company’s own quantum physicist Chetan Nayak describing some of its potential capabilities, such as solving “unsolvable problems”, as straight out of science fiction.

The development of the chip took decades, marking one of the tech giant’s longest running research projects. The process has led to the creation of special kind of quantum bit, or qubit, which is more robust than those previously relied upon by quantum computing.

Classical computing runs on binary code which uses varying patters of 1s and 0s. However, qubits in quantum computing use patterns which can be made of 1s, 0s or even both at the same time. This is thanks to superposition which allows both states to exist simultaneously. Two qubits can be linked, regardless of how far apart, in a process called entanglement. In theory, this allows them to solve problems much faster than ordinary computers. However, qubits are notoriously fragile and susceptible to errors due to environmental interactions such as noise, light or even a little movement.

Classical computing uses particles, which are similar to small dots used to produce visual effects. Through the Majorana 1 chip, Microsoft has produced topological qubits, which the company says are more stable and less prone to errors. These qubits are based on Majorana fermions, particles that act as their own antiparticles. This gives them an opposing force and makes them more stable. These properties can be harnessed to create more robust quantum states. By potentially reducing the need for extensive error correction, topological qubits could make quantum computers much more feasible for commercial applications than their standard qubit counterparts.

"The launch of Majorana 1 is another example of the wide range of technologies from which a critical breakthrough could arise,” Daniel Shiu, chief cryptographer at quantum cybersecurity firm Arqit tells National Technology News. “There is good reason to hope that these ‘topological qubits’ are more resilient than other superconducting qubits.

“This could help cut down on error-correction overheads, which are a major cost to a Cryptanalytically Relevant Quantum Computer."

Noah El Alami, technology analyst at IDTechEx, an independent research firm specialising in emerging technologies, says that Microsoft's approach to quantum computing is one of the most unique in the market.

“Rather than isolating single atoms or photons, its approach uses special many-particle states called 'Majorana modes' which can only exist at the ends of superconducting wires,” he explains.

This means that instead of trying to control just one atom at a time, Microsoft’s method uses a number of particles that all work together. These Majorana modes appear at the ends of wires that carry electricity without any resistance.

If Microsoft's claims hold true, Majorana 1 could accelerate the timeline for achieving practical quantum computing, potentially bringing it within reach in years rather than decades as previously predicted.

Shiu says that this advancement could have a profound impact on various sectors, including cryptography, materials science, and complex system modelling.

Practical applications

In the near term, quantum computing is expected to aid in simulating physical processes that are challenging for classical computers, with Shiu saying that that the technology could improve a number of processes. While Majorana 1 may not directly solve specific problems, it could contribute to the development of solutions in areas such as energy consumption.

"The nearest practical use of quantum computing is likely to be the simulation of simple physical processes, such as the Haber-Bosch nitrogen fixing method, which consumes a significant chunk of mankind's energy usage,” Shiu continues. “Majorana 1 is unlikely to tackle this problem but could help develop ideas towards it."

Regarding accessibility, it is anticipated that Microsoft will offer Majorana 1 technology as a service, making it available to interested parties at various levels.

"It is to be hoped that, like other companies, Microsoft will make Majorana 1 technology available as a service, at a level affordable to all serious interested parties,” Shiu said.

Google and Amazon

El Alami points out that other tech giants have recently made strides in quantum computing.
In December last year, Google claimed that its Willow chip performed a computation in less than five minutes that would take even the fastest available supercomputers 10 septillion years to achieve.

Amazon also announced the Ocelot quantum chip, shortly after the release of Majorana 1, which demonstrated a new mode of error correction with less qubit overhead. This approach could require less hardware per qubit, enhancing scalability.

El Alami said that the mathematical problem the Willow chip solved in 2024 was a type of algorithm that, whilst incredibly challenging to classically solve, has negligible real-world applications.

He added that using a “toy problem” was also the approach Google previously used to claim that it had achieved quantum supremacy with its Sycamore chip.

“Distinct from Microsoft's 'topological' platform, the Willow and Ocelot chips are based on electrical circuits of superconductors,” El Alami explained. “This 'superconducting' platform for quantum computing is one of the most popular and well-established in the industry, with names such as IBM and Rigetti backing this approach, as well as Google and Amazon.
“Part of the reason why superconducting approaches are so popular is because operating at incredibly low temperatures creates an ultra-low noise environment as a method to minimise errors.”

Previous challenges

Microsoft's journey toward developing topological qubits has faced its challenges. In 2018, the company claimed to have observed Majorana fermions, but subsequent scrutiny by industry peers revealed measurement errors. Shui said the latest announcement differs because the company has developed a tangible chip.

"Previous Microsoft announcements read a lot like the output of a theoretical physics group and weren't very testable,” Shiu said. “With this announcement, the instantiation of the claims in a commodity chip makes them easier to verify or falsify, which is critical for any scientific claim."

However, some experts have advised caution, questioning whether Majorana 1 can scale as Microsoft claims it can.

Shiu emphasises the need for the company to substantiate its claims.

"There are many examples of quotes underestimating the growth of computation that look unwise with the benefit of hindsight, so I'll refrain from saying that Microsoft can't achieve this,” he said. “However, the onus is heavily on Microsoft to make good on its statements."

Next steps for Microsoft’s quantum plans

To advance Majorana 1 toward practical quantum computing, Shiu says Microsoft must address several critical areas. These include scaling to more qubits, reliably initialising qubits, extending coherence times, developing a comprehensive set of quantum operations and ensuring reliable output and connectivity between qubits.

These requirements align with the DiVincenzo criteria, a set of conditions proposed by physicist David DiVincenzo for building a functional quantum computer.

"To ensure the successful development of the technology, Microsoft needs to make good progress against all of DiVincenzo's criteria,” continues Shiu. “Specifically, they need to show the ability to scale to more qubits and to reliably get the qubits in a known initial state.”

He adds: “It will also be important for them to increase the length of time for which the information on the qubit can still be reliably recovered by measurement. In addition to this, they must develop a full set of operations that can be reliably performed on their qubits.
Lastly, they need to show a reliable and consistent way to output their answers and show good all-to-all connectivity between their qubits.”

Diverse approaches

The quantum computing field is characterised by a diversity of approaches, including superconducting devices, trapped ions, photons, neutral atoms, and silicon defects. Shiu says that each technology has its strengths and challenges when it comes to meeting the DiVincenzo criteria.

"When looking over the horizon for quantum computing, I'm excited by the diversity of technologies that can be used to create qubits” he adds. “Apart from the headline-grabbing superconducting devices, there are also impressive advances with trapped ions, photons, neutral atoms, and silicon defects.

“All these do well against some of DiVincenzo's criteria and less well against others. The healthy range of places from which the critical breakthrough could arise makes me more confident that it will.”

El Alami believes that more advancements in error correction, hardware scalability, algorithm development, and infrastructure optimisation are essential before quantum computing can truly reach its full potential.

He adds that it is reassuring to see the world taking notice of progress in the field, with the hope that the novelty of quantum as a purely lab experiment is fading.

“It's exciting to see most of the largest tech companies now seriously invested in quantum computing, both from a standpoint of accelerating development and for building trust in this often-misunderstood industry,” El Alami explains. “What Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and many others have achieved in the past 12 months is impressive and represents a more mature market focused on providing value with quantum computing. However, it's important to perform due diligence on any supposed breakthroughs.”

The unveiling of Microsoft’s Majorana 1 chip marks a significant milestone in the journey towards quantum computing becoming a reality, with topological qubits offering a potentially more stable and scalable system for businesses to use.

But the tech giant still has to make the leap from theory to practice, following up its research with tangible progress over the next few years. While enthusiasm around the technology is promising, practical quantum computing is still complex and requires further advancements in the technology before wider roll out.

While we are closer than ever before to solving problems at lightning speed, there is still some way to go before quantum computing becomes a tangible part of life.

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