Microsoft announces new breakthrough in quantum chips

Microsoft has just announced a breakthrough in the field of quantum computing: they have created an entirely new state of matter, an achievement that could change the future of science and technology.

If Tony Stark in Iron Man 2 created a new element to power his armor, Microsoft is not far behind when it comes to creating a brand new state of matter. That is topoconductor (or topological superconductor), a concept that previously only existed in theory.

Microsoft announces new breakthrough in quantum chips Picture 1

To create this special state of matter, Microsoft scientists had to 'design and engineer it atom by atom,' creating an entirely new material from a combination of indium arsenide and aluminum. The result was Majorana particles, named after the quantum chip they power: Majorana 1.

The special feature of Majorana 1 lies in its topological core, which allows scaling to millions of qubits on a single chip. This is an important step forward, paving the way for the development of the world's first fault-tolerant quantum computer in the near future, instead of having to wait decades as previously predicted.

Microsoft believes that the development of quantum computers will bring revolutionary changes in many fields, from medicine (detecting and treating diseases, synthesizing new drugs), materials (self-healing materials), agriculture (improving crop yields) to scientific discovery (finding new drugs, decoding the mysteries of the universe).

Microsoft even revealed that its quantum computing technology has helped experts at Case Western Reserve University develop faster and more accurate cancer scanning methods.

With these remarkable advances, Microsoft is gradually asserting its pioneering position in the quantum computing race. And who knows, in the not too distant future, we will witness the miraculous applications of this technology in daily life.

Lesley Montoya

Update 23 February 2025