DEVOURED
Microsoft's New Quantum Chip Aiming for Useful Machine in 2029
Microsoft unveiled its new Majorana 2 quantum chip with 12 qubits capable of lasting over 20 seconds, targeting a commercially viable quantum machine by 2029.
What: Microsoft is aiming for a commercially viable quantum computer by 2029, driven by its new Majorana 2 chip. This chip features 12 qubits that maintain their quantum state for over 20 seconds, a significant improvement over the previous model's 8 qubits and sub-12-millisecond lifespan.
Why it matters: Microsoft's focus on "topological qubits" with longer coherence times via Majorana fermions, in contrast to superconducting or trapped-ion qubits used by competitors, reflects a bet on a fundamentally different, potentially more stable, path to error-corrected quantum computing.
Decoder
- Qubit (quantum bit): The basic unit of quantum information, analogous to a classical bit. Unlike classical bits that can be 0 or 1, a qubit can be 0, 1, or a superposition of both simultaneously.
- Majorana fermions: Hypothetical particles that are their own antiparticles, theorized to exist in certain condensed matter systems. Microsoft is researching them to create "topological qubits" that are more stable and resistant to decoherence.
- Coherence time: The duration for which a qubit can maintain its quantum state before it loses information due to interaction with its environment (decoherence). Longer coherence times are crucial for building robust quantum computers.
Original article
Microsoft is betting that it can set up a commercially viable quantum machine by 2029. Its new Majorana 2 chip boasts 12 qubits that last longer than 20 seconds. The company's previous model had 8 qubits that blinked out of existence in less than 12 milliseconds. Microsoft is continuing to work with the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to evaluate its progress.
Explore all 53 articles in today's digest
Fresh dev news, AI-digested daily. Never miss a trend at devoured.fyi