Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Microsoft on Tuesday unveiled Majorana 2, a new quantum computing chip and the successor to its 2025-era Majorana 1 quantum processor. During Microsoft Build 2026, the company said the new chip was developed with the help of artificial intelligence tools and represents a major step towards building commercially viable quantum computers.
Alongside the Majorana 2 announcement, Microsoft said it now expects to achieve a scalable quantum computer by 2029, cutting its original timeline in half and accelerating its push towards commercially useful quantum computing.
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According to Microsoft, Majorana 2 was developed using Microsoft Discovery, its agentic AI platform designed to assist scientific research. The company revealed that its AI agents were used throughout the chip’s development to analyse data, automate measurements, optimise manufacturing processes and identify potential flaws in designs. Microsoft believes these tools helped researchers overcome some of the engineering challenges that have long slowed progress in quantum computing.
What is a quantum computer?
Quantum computers differ from conventional computers by using qubits instead of bits. While a traditional bit can be either a 0 or a 1, a qubit can exist in multiple states simultaneously, potentially allowing quantum systems to perform certain calculations far more efficiently. However, qubits are notoriously unstable and can lose their quantum state through interference from their surroundings.
However Microsoft is following an approach based on topological quantum computing, a method it has been pursuing for nearly two decades. The company relies on exotic quantum states associated with quasiparticles known as Majoranas, first theorised by Italian physicist Ettore Majorana in the 1930s. Microsoft argues that these states could produce more stable qubits than the superconducting approaches currently used by rivals such as IBM and Google.
According to Microsoft, Majorana 2 delivers a 1,000-fold improvement in qubit reliability compared with the previous generation. The company said qubits on the new chip can maintain their quantum state for an average of around 20 seconds, compared with milliseconds on earlier versions, with some lasting up to a minute. Microsoft believes this improvement could help pave the way for larger and more practical quantum systems.
So what exactly changed in Majorana 2? One of the biggest upgrades was the materials used to build the chip. While many quantum processors rely on aluminium-based superconductors, Microsoft switched to a lead-based materials stack. The company said its AI tools helped researchers evaluate material combinations, run simulations and solve manufacturing challenges associated with incorporating lead into the chip design. Microsoft researchers also used AI agents to process decades of research data and identify patterns that could guide future experiments.
The announcement comes as competition in quantum computing is accelerating. IBM recently committed billions of dollars to its quantum programme, while Google, Amazon and several Chinese research groups are also pursuing systems capable of solving problems beyond the reach of today’s most powerful supercomputers.
As for Microsoft, For now ITS Majorana 2 remains a relatively small-scale device with just 12 topological qubits, far short of the millions that many experts believe will be needed for commercially useful quantum computers. Still, the company argues that advances in both quantum hardware and AI-assisted research could help in accelerating the development of machines capable of tackling complex problems in healthcare, materials science, energy production and chemistry.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
