Microsoft unveiled a new chip that could enable quantum computing in a matter of years.
The new chip, called Majorana 1, is a breakthrough in quantum computing, which the tech giant says is now likely to be achieved in years instead of decades, as many believed.
Quantum computing leverages the rules of quantum mechanics – physics which governs the behaviour of tiny particles – to solve complex problems faster than regular computers.
Big tech companies have been competing to develop quantum computers. Yet, the latest announcement signals Microsoft could be at the forefront of this innovation.
To create the new chip, Microsoft decided it first had to create a ‘topoconductor’ – a special category of material that isn’t solid, gas, or liquid. Until now, this had only existed in theory.
The company started working on the project in the early 2000s, making it Microsoft’s longest research project. Many researchers have denied the possibility of this technology’s existence.
Commenting on the groundbreaking invention, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said: “”After a nearly 20 year pursuit, we’ve created an entirely new state of matter.”
Solving “Industrial-Scale Problems”
At the start of the year, Jensen Huang, CEO of AI chip giant Nvidia, said useful quantum mechanics was likely to come in 20 years.
The new Majorana chip means we could be closer to quantum computers than we thought.
Microsoft said the groundbreaking chip will help solve “meaningful, industrial-scale problems” and unlock major discoveries in medicine, science, maths and technology – like combating pollution or developing life-saving medicines.
Along with developing ‘quantum skills’ and ‘hybrid applications’, quantum computers will also “drive new discoveries, particularly as AI is combined with new quantum systems,” the tech giant outlined.
The chip is designed to work with a software stack capable of integrating with classical and AI-enabled computers.
When combined with AI, quantum mechanics would enable scientists to describe what molecule or material they want and get the correct answer immediately, without performing years of trial and error.
Microsoft’s technical fellow, Matthias Troyer, explained: “Any company that makes anything could just design it perfectly the first time out. It would just give you the answer. The quantum computer teaches the AI the language of nature so the AI can just tell you the recipe for what you want to make.”
In the future, quantum computers could contribute to the achievement of artificial general intelligence (AGI) – where computers have human-like reasoning, speed up machine learning, enhance data processing, and solve complex AI development problems.
