The idea that Microsoft would rather discover a new state of matter than make the Teams calendar even slightly usable—while filling me with rage as a uni student—has shaken the world to its core, and this may be for good reason.
Majorana 1, Microsoft’s new chip, has just eight qubits. Despite this small number, what is substantial is their kind. Qubits are the information units in quantum computers, like our regular 1s and 0s, but due to their quantum nature, they can exist in multiple states simultaneously. Quantum computers have a problem, in fact they have many problems due to being constructed from science, but one of the biggest issues is their fragility. We need a way to physically store qubits, like transistors do for bits. Several systems exist, such as superconducting, trapped ion, and photonic qubits, but they’re highly fragile due to their sensitivity to environmental disturbances. External factors like temperature and noise can cause a qubit to collapse. As more qubits are added, maintaining stability without decoherence becomes increasingly difficult.
This is where Majorana 1’s qubits differ. Unlike other qubits, which are based on particles like ions, electrons, or photons, Majorana qubits rely on a topological state created using a new material in the form of nanowires known as the ‘topoconductor.’
While the science behind this is very complicated, essentially, by applying a magnetic field to the wires, we induce a topological phase transition (the new state of matter), creating Majorana zero modes at the ends of the wires. These ‘quasiparticles’ are not traditional particles, but an emerging phenomenon. Their entanglement allows us to create a qubit, where the state depends on the evenness or oddness of electron numbers in the nanowires.
The key significance is that, being topological, the qubit isn’t based on a particle but on the material, its topology, and temperature. This may make the qubit 100 to 1,000 times more scalable. Microsoft has even claimed a clear path to building a million-qubit processor, capable of performing an astronomical number of calculations simultaneously. How one can invent the most powerful computers in the world while making ones that lose 30% battery while powered off, I will never understand.
So, is that it? Not quite. Many scientists are sceptical to say the least, viewing much of this as your standard capitalist fluff to boost Microsoft’s valuation for shareholders. They wonder whether the research behind this new qubit holds up, and second, whether its significance is as groundbreaking as Microsoft claims.
We are at a point where Microsoft could backpedal, which they have done regarding MZM’s before. The biggest criticism has been their research paper, which clarifies that their measurements don’t definitively prove the existence of topological states. The assertion that Microsoft has topological qubits seems to have originated from publications, not from Microsoft itself. However, Microsoft did not step in to correct the misunderstanding—if there is one. Several experts have reviewed the paper and raised concerns about Microsoft’s protocols for identifying a topological phase, calling them questionable. The topological state is crucial because it gives the system its unique quantum properties. Well then, what did they measure? Some scientists suggest they may have simply measured electrons moving through the wire.
Scientists are frustrated with Microsoft’s approach because they have claimed to create a quantum version of classical transistors. However, smaller, more developed qubits are already solving issues like decoherence and error correction. For example, Google’s Willow chip uses superconducting qubits with strong error correction, and Intel’s quantum dot qubits offer the best scalability.
Microsoft’s bold claim that their new qubit will revolutionise quantum computing has frustrated researchers, as they lack enough data to support it. Scientists are naturally sceptical of new papers, as peer review is meant to critically evaluate such claims. While they downplay the chip’s significance and the possibility that the qubit exists and performs as expected, there is still data from Microsoft that hasn’t been fully reviewed. It’s possible Microsoft does have the topological qubit, but proving anything in quantum computing is difficult.
Companies often make bold claims to boost their valuation and stock prices, only for them to fall short, while scientists scream their warnings. That said, if this qubit does exist, it’s still a significant development—perhaps not as revolutionary as some suggest, but it offers a completely new approach to quantum computing, which may be what the field needs. What do you think? Is this just quantum noise, or could it be the first step toward million-qubit quantum computers? If so, maybe I can use one to open OneNote, one can dream.
