Microsoft has introduced its first quantum computing chip, Majorana 1, marking a significant milestone after nearly 20 years of research. What makes this achievement extraordinary is the company’s claim that building the chip required creating an entirely new state of matter called a “topological state.”
The innovative chip features eight topological qubits made from a combination of indium arsenide (a semiconductor) and aluminum (a superconductor). According to Microsoft, most quantum computing efforts have focused on other types of qubits because developing the materials needed for these exotic particles and their topological state is exceptionally challenging.
To build this quantum chip, Microsoft had to spray materials atom by atom with perfect alignment. As Microsoft technical fellow Krysta Svore noted, “Ironically, it’s also why we need a quantum computer — because understanding these materials is incredibly hard. With a scaled quantum computer, we will be able to predict materials with even better properties for building the next generation of quantum computers.”
The technology is detailed in a new paper published in the prestigious journal Nature.
Unlike classical computers that use bits that are either on or off, quantum computers use qubits that can operate in both states simultaneously. This capability could potentially solve problems that are virtually impossible for traditional computers. Microsoft joins other tech giants like Google and IBM, as well as smaller players like IonQ and Rigetti Computing, in developing quantum processors.
The Majorana 1 chip won’t be available to clients through Microsoft’s Azure public cloud as the company is doing with its AI chip, Maia 100. Instead, it represents a step toward the ambitious goal of creating a chip with a million qubits.
Microsoft is manufacturing the components in the United States rather than outsourcing to companies like Taiwan Semiconductor. This in-house approach is feasible because of the small scale of the current work. As Microsoft Executive Vice President Jason Zander explained, “We want to get to a few hundred qubits before we start talking about commercial reliability.”
For now, the company will collaborate with national laboratories and universities on research using Majorana 1. Despite the focus on research rather than immediate commercialization, investors have shown tremendous interest in quantum computing. In 2023, IonQ shares rose 237% and Rigetti gained nearly 1,500%, despite their combined third-quarter revenue of just $14.8 million.
Microsoft’s Azure Quantum cloud service already offers access to chips from IonQ and Rigetti, and Zander suggested that a Microsoft quantum chip might become available through Azure before 2030. “There’s a lot of speculation that we’re decades off from this,” he said. “We believe it’s more like years.”
Rather than becoming a standalone product category, quantum computing could enhance other parts of Microsoft’s business. For example, it could boost the company’s AI division, which already generates over $13 billion in annualized revenue. Quantum computers could help build data for training AI models, enabling breakthroughs in areas previously thought impossible. As Zander explained, “Now you can ask it to invent some new molecule, invent some new drug, something that really would have been impossible to do before.”
