Microsoft's first quantum computing chip Majorana 1 is here! It is expected to drive breakthroughs in data centers, chemistry, and healthcare in the future.

Microsoft ( announced its first quantum computing chip 'Majorana 1' on 2/19, stating that Majorana 1 may be used in data centers in the future and bring significant breakthroughs in chemistry, medicine, and other fields.

Quantum chip Majorana 1 was born, Microsoft seizes future computing

Microsoft has announced the official debut of its first quantum computing chip, 'Majorana 1,' which is equipped with 8 quantum bits )qubits(. Although it can currently only be used for simple mathematical calculations, Microsoft engineers believe that this will be the foundation of future quantum computers, potentially expanding to 1 million qubits, far exceeding the computing power of current computers.

Microsoft's quantum computing chip "Majorana 1" debuted

The research results have been recently published in the well-known journal 'Nature'. Jason Zander, Executive Vice President of Microsoft, said, 'As early as 1937, scientists had proposed this theory, and now we are finally able to make use of it. The practical era of quantum computers may be in these few years, rather than decades later.'

Quantum computing technology breakthrough, expected to change the computing mode

The core of quantum computing lies in qubits, which are different from the 0 and 1 of traditional computers. They can exist in both 0 and 1 states at the same time, enabling computing power beyond traditional methods. This feature allows quantum computers to simultaneously calculate multiple possibilities and solve problems that are difficult for conventional computers to handle.

The picture shows the difference between quantum bits and traditional computer bits.

Google recently also demonstrated its latest quantum chip, completing a calculation in 5 minutes that a traditional computer may need 'more than the age of the universe' to solve, showing that quantum technology is gradually moving towards practicality. However, the main challenge of current quantum computing lies in 'error rates,' as quantum particles are extremely susceptible to environmental influences, leading to computational errors.

Microsoft adopts Majorana technology to reduce the error rate of quantum computing

Microsoft has been investing in quantum computing research since 2004 and has chosen a different path from other technology companies, focusing on reducing computational errors using Majorana quasi-particle technology. Majorana, this special particle, was proposed by Italian physicists as early as the 1930s. Microsoft believes that it is more stable than qubits produced by other technologies and less prone to data flipping errors.

In order to successfully manipulate Majorana, the Microsoft team used )Indium-Arsenide( atomic-level material combined with )Aluminum Nanowires( to form an H-shaped structure. By controlling at extremely low temperatures and magnetic fields, Majorana is induced at four endpoints to form a single qubit, and the calculation results are read through microwave signals. This structure can be further expanded to form a larger scale quantum chip.

After numerous setbacks, Microsoft finally breaks through the technological bottleneck.

Microsoft announced the discovery of the Majorana particle as early as 2018, but then retracted the paper, saying that the research at the time was misjudged. After years of technological improvement, Microsoft finally succeeded in measuring and controlling Majorana particles and applying them to the Majorana 1 chip, laying the foundation for large-scale quantum computing in the future.

Although the current computing power of Majorana 1 is still limited, Microsoft's technological breakthrough means that quantum computers are one step closer to practicality. With tech giants like Google and Microsoft accelerating the development of quantum technology, quantum computing may potentially disrupt traditional computing models in the future and drive advancements in areas such as data centers, chemical research, and medical diagnostics.

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