Microsoft Claims New Majorana 1 Quantum Computing Chip Can Scale To A Million Qubits — So Far, It Has Eight
February 20th, 2025Via: The Register:
Microsoft says it has developed a quantum-computing chip made with novel materials that is expected to enable the development of quantum computers for meaningful, real-world applications within – you guessed it – years rather than decades.
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Redmond’s boffins on Wednesday announced Majorana 1, a quantum computing chip based on a Topological Core architecture that can – eventually, it is claimed – scale to support millions of quantum bits (qubits) on a single chip.
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Commercially useful quantum computers are expected to require millions of physical qubits. We’re not there yet. Google’s Willow chip, introduced last December, boasts 105 physical qubits. While qubit counts across devices that rely on different techniques aren’t directly comparable – IBM’s Osprey from 2022 featured a 433-qubit processor – they’re still orders of magnitude shy of millions.
But that’s what Microsoft claims is now plausible, within a few years.
“Whatever you’re doing in the quantum space needs to have a path to a million qubits,” said Chetan Nayak, Microsoft technical fellow in a statement. “If it doesn’t, you’re going to hit a wall before you get to the scale at which you can solve the really important problems that motivate us. We have actually worked out a path to a million.”
Currently, Microsoft has eight – that’s how many topological qubits reside on its breakthrough chip. But there’s room for scaling to millions.
That’s amazing. Did they say, the chip is functional and initially purposed with scaling up the original design? Over my head. But, oh boy, where are we headed?
Their plan is to fit a million qubits on one of those chips. They are saying it with a straight face, apparently.
https://news.microsoft.com/source/features/innovation/microsofts-majorana-1-chip-carves-new-path-for-quantum-computing/
“This new architecture used to develop the Majorana 1 processor offers a clear path to fit a million qubits on a single chip that can fit in the palm of one’s hand, Microsoft said.”
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“But, oh boy, where are we headed?”
Have you seen Devs? My guess is that the real motivation is something on that scale of nuts.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devs_(TV_series)
Why do people think anyone appearing in a simulation will be alive, conscious and self-aware? It seems to me to be but an upgraded, 3-D motion picture. It would be light, but how can it be life?
An old question, apparently:
“The Student of Prague”, filmed in 1922. A silent film, so you can turn off the annoying added music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzyzhfuHA3I
PS — thanks for the Devs citation. With no tv or movies or radio, I’ve been living in a parallel trajectory, myself. Or a picture within a picture?
Never heard of Devs. Gotta check that out. Thanks.