After nearly 20 years of research, Microsoft launched its first quantum computing chip, Majorana 1, on Wednesday local time in the United States. Microsoft said that the development of Majorana 1 requires the creation of a completely new state of matter, the so-called "topological body."
As we all know, the core of quantum computers is quantum bits (qubits), which are units of information in quantum computing, similar to the binary used by computers today. The problem is that quantum bits are quite fragile and very sensitive to environmental noise, which can lead to calculation errors or data loss - devastating consequences for computers. This is the core contradiction that has slowed the development of quantum computing.
To solve this problem, Microsoft's quantum chip adopts a new solution by creating the so-called "world's first topological body" to observe and control Majorana particles, thereby producing more reliable and scalable quantum bits.
Microsoft revealed that this topology uses indium arsenide (semiconductor) and aluminum (superconductor) to design and build topological conductor wires atom by atom - the so-called "transistor of the quantum era." The company said in a blog post: "Developing suitable materials for creating exotic particles and their related topological states is extremely difficult, which is why most quantum research focuses on other types of qubits."
Microsoft wrote in a blog post that understanding topological matter and applying it to the manufacture of quantum computing chips requires materials with precise atomic arrangements.
Microsoft explains that when topological conductor wires are cooled to near absolute zero and tuned by a magnetic field, Majorana zero-energy modes (MZMs) are formed at both ends. Majorana qubits are more stable than other alternatives. They are fast, small, digitally controllable, and have unique properties that protect quantum information.
On the Majorana 1 chip, Microsoft connects topological conductor nanowires together to form an "H", with four controllable Majorana particles in each unit, forming a quantum bit. The "H" units can be connected, and Microsoft has successfully placed 8 units in a chip. In this way, Microsoft enables quantum bits to be controlled digitally, redefining and greatly simplifying the way quantum computing works.
In addition to creating Majorana particles, Microsoft now has the ability to measure information from them. Microsoft said the new measurement method can be accurate enough to detect the difference between a billion and a billion and one particles in a superconducting wire - this will tell the computer what state the quantum bit is in and lay the foundation for quantum computing. The measurement can be turned on and off with a voltage pulse switch, simplifying the process of quantum computing and the physical requirements for building scalable machines.
Of course, Microsoft’s ultimate goal is still to put one million quantum bits on a palm-sized chip.
“Ironically, this is exactly why we need quantum computers — because these materials are extremely difficult to understand,” said Krysta Svore, a technical fellow at Microsoft. “With scalable quantum computers, we will be able to predict materials with better properties and build the next generation of quantum computers that are beyond the scale of today’s.”
Technology experts believe that quantum computers may one day be able to efficiently solve problems that are difficult or even impossible for traditional computers to handle. Current computers use bits, which can only be on or off, while quantum computers use quantum bits, which can be in two states at the same time.
Google and IBM, as well as smaller companies such as IonQ and Rigetti Computing, have also developed quantum processors.
Unlike Microsoft's plan to make its custom AI chip, the Maia 100, available through the Azure public cloud, Majorana 1 will not be available to customers.
Instead, Majorana 1 is an important step towards Microsoft's goal of achieving a million qubits on a single chip based on extensive physics research.
Rather than relying on TSMC or other companies to manufacture its chips, Microsoft chose to produce the components of Majorana 1 itself in the U.S. This is because the current research is small-scale, making self-manufacturing possible.
"We want to get to a few hundred qubits before we talk about commercial reliability," said Jason Zander, Microsoft's executive vice president. In the meantime, Microsoft will work with national laboratories and universities to conduct research using Majorana 1.
Although it is currently focused on research, investors are still very interested in quantum computing. In 2024, IonQ's stock price rose 237%, and Rigetti's stock price rose nearly 1,500%. The two companies had a total revenue of $14.8 million in the third quarter of last year. In January of this year, Microsoft published a blog post calling 2025 the "year of preparation for quantum computing", further boosting market enthusiasm.
Microsoft's Azure Quantum cloud service allows developers to experiment with programs and algorithms and provides access to IonQ and Rigetti chips. Zander said Microsoft's quantum chips could be available as a service through Azure by 2030. He said: "A lot of people speculate that it's decades away. But we think it may only take a few years."
Quantum computing may not exist as an independent field, but will drive the development of Microsoft's other businesses. For example, Microsoft's artificial intelligence business has annualized revenue of more than $13 billion. Zander said that quantum computers can be used to build the data needed to train AI models.
“You can now ask a quantum computer to invent some new molecule or new drug, something that was impossible to do before,” he said.
(Original title: "The world's first topological architecture quantum chip is released. Microsoft: Quantum computing will be realized within a few years")
