Could «topological qubits» be the next big breakthrough in quantum computing? Microsoft thinks so.
Microsoft has announced a breakthrough in the race for quantum supremacy, as the next wave of computational power comes further into view. The ultimate goal – building a viable and useful quantum computer – is still thought to be some way off, especially given the complex workloads expected of such a machine. But these incremental steps could have big ramifications in the future. The breakthrough, according to Microsoft, relates to its ability to sustain a quantum bit, which the company calls a “topological qubit”. Researchers explain that they have discovered the phenomenon known as the Majorana zero node. “We have discovered that we can produce the topological superconducting phase and its concomitant Majorana zero modes, clearing a significant hurdle toward building a scaled quantum machine,” says Microsoft’s Dr.
