Microsoft’s Quantum Chip Utilises New Matter State

Microsoft has this week drawn the focus away from AI and back onto quantum computing, as one of the most significant computing platforms of the future.

Microsoft on Wednesday introduced Majorana 1, which it said is “the world’s first quantum chip powered by a new Topological Core architecture that it expects will realise quantum computers capable of solving meaningful, industrial-scale problems in years, not decades.”

Quantum computing is expected to revolutionise the way computers work by using building blocks whose functionality draws on quantum effects. Microsoft’s Majorana 1 development will no doubt be closely observed by fellow long-term quantum computing developers IBM and Google.

Majorana 1

Microsoft is one of the three big name quantum computing specialists in the West.

In 2017 for example Microsoft launched a preview of a development kit for quantum computers, including a programming language called Q# (“Q Sharp”) and a quantum computing simulator that it said could run on a typical laptop.

Now Microsoft is touting that the Majorana 1 it has developed could pave the way for faster development of quantum computing.

Microsoft said Majorana 1 is the world’s first quantum chip powered by a new Topological Core architecture.

Redmond says it utilises the world’s first topoconductor – a breakthrough type of material which can observe and control Majorana particles to produce more reliable and scalable qubits, which are the building blocks for quantum computers.

This flexible structure means it could be possible to design quantum systems that fit in a single chip smaller than the palm of a hand, and to create more reliable hardware.

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Microsoft said that in the same way the invention of semiconductors made today’s smartphones, computers and electronics possible, topoconductors and the new type of chip they enable offer a path to developing quantum systems that can scale to a million qubits and are capable of tackling the most complex industrial and societal problems.

“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.”

Topoconductor superconductor

This new architecture used to develop the Majorana 1 processor offers a clear path to fit a million qubits on a single chip that can fit in the palm of one’s hand, Microsoft claimed.

This is a needed threshold for quantum computers to deliver transformative, real-world solutions – such as breaking down microplastics into harmless byproducts or inventing self-healing materials for construction, manufacturing or healthcare, said Redmond.

It pointed out that all the world’s current computers operating together can’t do what a one-million-qubit quantum computer will be able to do.

“Whatever you’re doing in the quantum space needs to have a path to a million qubits. 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,” Nayak said. “We have actually worked out a path to a million.”

The topoconductor, or topological superconductor, is a special category of material that can create an entirely new state of matter – not a solid, liquid or gas but a topological state, said Microsoft. This is harnessed to produce a more stable qubit that is fast, small and can be digitally controlled, without the tradeoffs required by current alternatives.

This breakthrough required developing an entirely new materials stack made of indium arsenide and aluminium, much of which Microsoft designed and fabricated atom by atom.

The goal was to coax new quantum particles called Majoranas into existence and take advantage of their unique properties to reach the next horizon of quantum computing, Microsoft said.