Microsoft joins quantum race with breakthrough chip
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Microsoft unveiled a new computer chip called Majorana 1, which can fit in the palm of a hand but packs a revolutionary design that the company says could transform everything.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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SAN FRANCISCO – Tech giant Microsoft unveiled a new computer chip on Feb 19 that it says could transform everything from fighting pollution to developing new medicine, joining Google and IBM in arguing that the promise of quantum computing is closer to reality.
The US-made chip called Majorana 1 can fit in the palm of a hand but packs a revolutionary design that Microsoft believes will solve one of the biggest challenges in quantum computing – making these super powerful machines reliable enough for real-world use.
Dr Chetan Nayak, a senior scientist at Microsoft, said: “We took a fresh approach and basically reinvented how quantum computers could work.”
The company says its breakthrough was confirmed in research published on Feb 19 in the scientific journal Nature.
The new Majorana 1 chip uses a special approach to building quantum computers that could make them more stable and easier to scale up than the work done by Google or IBM, which are considered leaders in the field.
While the chip represents a major advance, Microsoft acknowledges that more engineering work lies ahead before quantum computers become practical tools. But it says this breakthrough could make that reality possible within “years rather than decades”.
Unlike regular computers that process information as 1s and 0s, quantum computers harness the strange properties of atomic particles, measured as qubits, to potentially solve problems that would take today’s most powerful supercomputers thousands of years.
Microsoft says its new chip design could lead to quantum computers capable of tackling major challenges, such as finding ways to break down harmful microplastics in the ocean or developing materials that can repair themselves when damaged.
Quantum research is seen as a critical field, and the US and China have been investing heavily in the area, while Washington has also placed restrictions on the export of the sensitive technology.
The US Department of Defence has shown strong interest in the technology, selecting Microsoft as one of just two companies to advance to the final phase of its quantum computing programme.
Google in December 2024 unveiled its Willow quantum chip
