The Trader Harbor
  • Business
  • Politics
  • World News
  • Stocks
  • Business
  • Politics
  • World News
  • Stocks

The Trader Harbor

Business

Microsoft reveals its first quantum computing chip, the Majorana 1

by admin February 21, 2025
February 21, 2025
Microsoft reveals its first quantum computing chip, the Majorana 1

Microsoft on Wednesday announced Majorana 1, its first quantum computing chip. 

The achievement comes after the company has spent nearly two decades of research in the field. 

Technologists believe quantum computers could one day efficiently solve problems that would be taxing if not impossible for classical computers. Today’s computers use bits that can be either on or off while quantum computers employ quantum bits, or qubits, that can operate in both states simultaneously.

Google and IBM have also developed quantum processors, as have smaller companies IonQ and Rigetti Computing. Microsoft’s quantum chip employs eight topological qubits using indium arsenide, which is a semiconductor, and aluminum, which is a superconductor. A new paper in the journal Nature describes the chip in detail.

Microsoft won’t be allowing clients to use its Majorana 1 chip through the company’s Azure public cloud, as it plans to do with its custom artificial intelligence chip, Maia 100. Instead, Majorana 1 is a step toward a goal of a million qubits on a chip, following extensive physics research.

Rather than rely on Taiwan Semiconductor or another company for fabrication, Microsoft is manufacturing the components of Majorana 1 itself in the U.S. That’s possible because the work is unfolding at a small scale.

“We want to get to a few hundred qubits before we start talking about commercial reliability,” Jason Zander, a Microsoft executive vice president, told CNBC.

In the meantime, the company will engage with national laboratories and universities on research using Majorana 1. 

Despite the focus on research, investors are fascinated by quantum.

IonQ shares went up 237% in 2024, and Rigetti gained nearly 1,500%. The two generated a combined $14.8 million in third-quarter revenue. Further gains came in January, after Microsoft issued a blog post declaring that 2025 is “the year to become quantum-ready.”

Microsoft’s Azure Quantum cloud service, which lets developers experiment with programs and algorithms, offers access to chips from IonQ and Rigetti. It’s possible that a Microsoft quantum chip might become available through Azure before 2030, Zander said.

“There’s a lot of speculation that we’re decades off from this,” he said. “We believe it’s more like years.”

Rather than exist as a stand-alone category, quantum computing might end up boosting other parts of Microsoft. For example, there’s Microsoft’s AI business, which has an annualized revenue run rate that exceeds $13 billion. Quantum computers could be used to build data used to train AI models, Zander said. 

“Now you can ask it to invent some new molecule, invent some new drug, something that really would have been impossible to do before,” Zander said.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Walmart is getting a bump from a surprising cohort: Wealthier shoppers
next post
I was a White House lawyer and I found Trump’s way around the left’s lawfare roadblocks

Related Posts

Four minors found working at Alabama poultry plant...

May 21, 2024

Apple’s Maryland store workers vote to authorize strike

May 13, 2024

Tesla is the new meme stock, according to...

July 11, 2024

GM reports best U.S. quarterly sales since 2020

July 3, 2024

Recalled cucumbers linked to at least 449 illnesses...

August 17, 2024

Soaring egg prices are threatening a classic holiday...

March 1, 2025

Doritos severs ties with transgender influencer in Spain...

March 8, 2024

Laid off from a high-paying job, this 61-year-old...

July 8, 2024

Tesla settles lawsuit over Autopilot crash that killed...

April 12, 2024

Trump commutes sentence of Ozy Media founder Carlos...

March 30, 2025

    Stay updated with the latest news, exclusive offers, and special promotions. Sign up now and be the first to know! As a member, you'll receive curated content, insider tips, and invitations to exclusive events. Don't miss out on being part of something special.


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Latest

    • Ben & Jerry’s co-founder resigns, claiming parent company Unilever ‘silenced’ its campaigning

      September 21, 2025
    • The Real Drivers of This Market: AI, Semis & Robotics

      September 21, 2025
    • S&P 500 Breaking Out Again: What This Means for Your Portfolio

      September 21, 2025
    • Trump caps UK trip with $350B tech pact, heads to Arizona for Kirk’s memorial service

      September 21, 2025
    • How AI browsers open the door to new scams

      September 21, 2025
    • WATCH: Defiant Kash Patel says he’s ‘proud’ to lead FBI after explosive hearing

      September 21, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (1,388)
    • Politics (4,539)
    • Stocks (1,661)
    • Uncategorized (45)
    • World News (1,381)
    • About us
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: TheTraderHarbor, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 thetraderharbor.com | All Rights Reserved