Microsoft has taken a significant step in the quantum computing race. Here are the details about the Majorana 1 chip.

Unlike traditional computers that process information in the form of ones and zeros, quantum computers utilize qubits—units of information that can exist in a superposition of zero and one. This capability, both practically and theoretically, allows quantum technologies to tackle problems that would take the most powerful supercomputers years of computational effort to solve.

The majority of modern quantum computers are used by researchers and, at best, contain thousands of qubits. This is a very young field of technology with inherent limitations at this stage. Like early phones and memory cards, quantum computers are massive, require special conditions—cooling with nitrogen and helium—and are designed to solve "narrow" problems.

The technology company Microsoft is investing in quantum technologies, just like other industry giants: IBM and Google. On Wednesday, February 19, 2025, researchers showcased a computer chip that operates with topological quantum computing. The accompanying scientific details about the chip were published in the journal Nature.

In a topological qubit, information is distributed throughout the system rather than stored in separate particles. As a result, these qubits are more resistant to noise and errors. Topological qubits require quasi-particles known as anyons. This term is a generalization for bosons and fermions in two-dimensional systems and is derived from the English word any.

To operate the chip, special anyons—zero-energy Majorana modes, the state of a Majorana fermion with zero energy—were needed. Majorana fermions are their own antiparticles and are named after the Italian physicist Ettore Majorana (Ettore Majorana), who predicted their existence. For this reason, the chip was also named Majorana 1.

Researchers were able to observe the fusion of non-Abelian anyons on the chip and evaluate this process with high measurement precision. The Microsoft team also demonstrated an architecture compatible with future tests of anyon fusion rules. The chip successfully conducted a single (single-shot) interferometric measurement of fermionic parity within a structure based on indium arsenide and aluminum (InAs–Al).

Scientists created an interferometer based on quantum dots connected to a nanowire influenced by superconductivity. The quantum dots and the wire do not make direct contact; the connection is tunnel-based. The working temperatures for the research range from 50 to 300 millikelvin, requiring special cooling to achieve.

The existence of the zero-energy Majorana mode has not been fully proven; however, these quasi-particles and topological qubits theoretically hold the potential to greatly advance quantum computing. In their paper, the Microsoft team presented new data confirming the existence of the required anyon, which will need to be verified by other scientific groups.

The chip was manufactured in the USA and is significantly smaller than other modern quantum chips—all of its structure fits in the palm of a hand. It contains eight topological qubits.

Microsoft immediately presented its development in a consumer-friendly design. The company believes that this chip will make quantum computing reliable enough for practical application.

Although the chip represents a significant advancement, Microsoft acknowledged that much engineering work remains before quantum computers become practical tools. The company claims that this breakthrough could make such a reality possible within "years, not decades."