Microsoft's Majorana 1 chip marks quantum leap at $414.77

Microsoft has unveiled its first quantum computing chip, Majorana 1, after two decades of research.

CEO Satya Nadella describes it as a "breakthrough" powered by a new state of matter.

The Majorana 1 chip is built using topoconductors, allowing it to potentially scale to one million qubits.

Microsoft believes this innovation can lead to quantum computers capable of solving complex industrial and societal problems within years, not decades.

Chetan Nayak, a Microsoft technical fellow, stated that the company aimed to "invent the transistor for the quantum age."

He added that the combination of quality and key details in the new materials stack enabled a new kind of qubit and the entire architecture.

According to Microsoft, a one-million-qubit quantum computer could outperform all current computers combined.

Potential applications include breaking down microplastics and inventing self-healing materials.

The new chip uses "Majorana particles" to protect quantum information from disturbances, which is confirmed by peer-reviewed research published in Nature.

Microsoft's measurement approach can detect minuscule differences in electron counts, forming the basis for quantum computation and simplifying the process.

According to Troyer, Microsoft's topological qubit design has an advantage over other qubits because of its size.

The design offers the right size, speed, and controllability, which makes it scalable, according to the Microsoft team.

Microsoft is on track to build a fault-tolerant prototype as part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program.

Microsoft's stock rose 1.25% to close at $414.77 on Wednesday following the announcement.

Jason Zander, Microsoft executive vice president, mentioned that the theory introduced in 1937 is now ready for practical use.

"It’s taken us nearly a hundred years to prove it. Now we can harness it," he stated.