Microsoft presented “Majorana 1” — the world’s first quantum chip based on the new “Topological Core” architecture. It could potentially hold up to a million qubits, informs press service of the company.
Microsoft’s new chip uses the Majorana particle, first described by theoretical physicist Ettore Majorana in 1937, to perform calculations instead of electrons. The company notes that the chip is created using an innovative material – a topological conductor or topological superconductor, capable of not only detecting, but also controlling Majorana particles, which ensures higher stability of qubits.
Engineers placed four Majorana particles on the chip, connecting them with a nanochain of indium arsenide and aluminum (a heat conductor). The scheme of their connection resembles the letter H, so they were called H-blocks. These four particles together form one qubit.
Microsoft claims that marjoram qubits have significantly higher stability compared to current alternatives. They are compact, fast, controlled by digital methods and have unique properties that help protect quantum information.
“Our management has been working on this program for the past 17 years. This is the longest research program in the company. After 17 years, we’re showing results that aren’t just incredible, they’re real. They will fundamentally change the way we think about how the next stage of the quantum journey will take place.” Zulfi Alam, Microsoft’s vice president for quantum technologies, said.
