For a field that many have long considered decades away, quantum computing sure is getting a lot of buzz in Silicon Valley. Yesterday (Feb. 19), Microsoft (MSFT) unveiled a quantum chip known as Majorana 1, created with an entirely new state of matter that’s beyond solid, liquid and gas. “Most of us grew up learning there are three main types of matter that matter: solid, liquid, and gas. Today, that changed,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in a post on X yesterday. “We believe this breakthrough will allow us to create a truly meaningful quantum computer not in decades, as some have predicted, but in years.”
While traditional computing currently relies on bits, quantum computing utilizes qubits—a unit of information that can operate in multiple states simultaneously, instead of being either on or off. To build qubits, most quantum companies use superconducting units. But for decades, Microsoft has taken a notably unique approach. Majorana 1 contains eight qubits created with a new state of matter the company calls a “topological state,” a feat achieved by combining both semiconductors and superconductors. These topological qubits are “faster, more reliable and smaller,” providing a clearer path to eventually fitting a million qubits on a single chip, according to Nadella.
Researchers have spent decades studying the feasibility of a so-called quantum computer, which could tackle calculations beyond the wildest capabilities of today’s supercomputers. Quantum computing is still a way off from becoming commercially viable, but recent research progress has heated up the tech industry’s race to develop quantum computers—a milestone that could have major implications for everything from the health care industry to supply chains and climate change.
Why does it matter?
A one-million-qubit quantum computer is largely considered the threshold for delivering real-world results, Microsoft said. Due to their ability to draw from quantum mechanics, such machines could solve problems across chemistry and materials science that are impossible with current computing capabilities. Potential results could include discovering why materials crack, a breakthrough that could lead to self-healing materials; or creating a way to break down all types of plastic.
“Most of all, quantum computing could allow engineers, scientists, companies and others to simply design things right the first time,” Microsoft said.
Microsoft isn’t the only Big Tech company attempting to crack the quantum computing. Decades of research from companies like IBM, Intel and Google (GOOGL) has seemingly begun to pay off. Most recently, Google sent shockwaves through Silicon Valley when it unveiled a new quantum chip called Willow. In less than five minutes, the computer was able to perform a standard benchmark computation that would take today’s supercomputers 10 septillion years—a number that surpasses the age of the universe—to complete.
But not everyone is convinced that true breakthroughs are just around the corner. Tech leaders like Nvidia (NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang have raised red flags about the technology’s timeline. In January, Huang sent quantum stocks tumbling after declaring that “very useful quantum computers are still a few decades away.” Meta (META) CEO Mark Zuckerberg echoed these concerns a few days later while speaking on Joe Rogan’s podcast. “My understanding is that’s still quite a ways off from being a very useful paradigm,” Zuckerberg said.
Nadella is more optimistic. Microsoft’s new advancements mean the company could be the first to achieve milestones like a one-million-qubit chip and thousands of error-corrected qubits, said the CEO during an episode of the Dwarkesh Podcast yesterday. “And then it’s game on. You suddenly have the ability to build a real utility-scale quantum computer,” he said.
While it’s under Nadella’s leadership that Microsoft is finally edging closer to reaping the rewards of such research, its quantum computing strategy started back in the 2000s—long before Nadella joined the company. “It’s unbelievable,” Nadella said of the effort, which has taken place under previous chief executives like Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. “I’m the third CEO of Microsoft who’s been excited about quantum.”
Despite the long waits they generate, such projects are key to the success of Microsoft’s research division, according to Nadella. “We’ve got to go at it each year knowing that most of these bets are not going to pay off in any finite frame,” he said. “Maybe the sixth CEO of Microsoft will benefit from it.”
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