On February 19, 2025, Microsoft unveiled Majorana 1, which is a new groundbreaking quantum chip that utilizes a novel Topological Core architecture to harness the power of Majorana particles.

Named after Ettore Majorana, an Italian theoretical physicist born in 1906, known for his exceptional mathematical abilities, he initially studied engineering but switched to physics in 1928. Majorana made significant contributions to quantum theory and the study of subatomic particles, leading to the formulation of the Majorana equation and the concept of Majorana fermions. On March 25, 1938, Majorana disappeared after boarding a ship from Naples to Palermo.

Microsoft’s Majorana 1 chip utilizes a groundbreaking approach called topological superconductivity. This involves combining special materials and cooling them to extremely low temperatures to create unique quantum particles called Majorana Zero Modes (MZMs). These MZMs are incredibly stable and resistant to errors, which has been a major challenge in quantum computing.

The chip stores quantum information using these particles and can perform computations by moving them around, a process called "braiding." What makes this technology so exciting is its potential for scalability. While the current chip has only 8 qubits (quantum bits), Microsoft's design could potentially fit up to 1 million qubits on a single, small chip.

The advancement in technology could be useful in developing new medicine, climate modeling, and other tasks improving the quality of life globally.