Microsoft Discovers New State of Matter With Quantum Chip Breakthrough

On Wednesday, Microsoft unveiled a major scientific breakthrough that it believes will kick-start the quantum computing revolution. Majorana 1 is the world’s first quantum chip powered by Microsoft’s Topological Core architecture, a new technology that relies on a previously undiscovered state of matter.

The chip uses the world’s first topoconductor, capable of observing and controlling particles to produce the key building blocks for quantum computers, called qubits. Topoconductors use a novel material capable of producing an entirely new state of matter (adding to the three main states: solid, liquid, or gas). Scalable to a million qubits, the chip lays the foundations for addressing complex industrial and societal problems that can’t be handled by traditional computers.

Microsoft did this by developing a new material stack utilizing indium arsenide and aluminum, fabricated atom by atom, to yield quantum particles called “Majoranas.” With Microsoft’s new measurement methodology, the qubits can be controlled digitally, a major advancement in quantum computing.

Now, Microsoft is one of two companies participating in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Underexplored Systems for Utility-Scale Quantum Computing (US2QC) program. This program aims to deliver the industry’s first utility-scale fault-tolerant quantum computer.

So why is quantum computing so innovative? According to Microsoft, scientists believe that quantum computers could solve why materials suffer corrosion or cracks and develop self-healing industrial materials, aid calculation of the properties needed to break down pollutants and plastics, and boost soil fertility or promote food growth in harsh climates. Furthermore, with AI technology, quantum computers could help engineers, scientists, and companies optimize design processes to reach answers faster.

Learn more about Microsoft’s Majorana 1 quantum chip at the company’s official website.