For the past few years, researchers around the world have announced a steady stream of breakthroughs that could lead to the development of powerful quantum computers. Nevertheless, such computers continue to be tantalizingly out of reach. Tech journalist Asa Fitch explains, “Quantum computing remains in its relative infancy. A handful of startups and big tech companies are pursuing it, but industry experts say it will likely take years before practical and powerful quantum computers are widely available.”[1] What’s the big deal? Fitch explains, “If the quantum-computing industry’s dreams are realized, quantum computers would perform computations quickly that would have taken traditional computers eons. … A super-powerful quantum computer could perform complex simulations of the physical world with an accuracy and speed previously unheard of. The industry’s backers say that could lead to things like better-performing batteries, more efficient chemical production and new drugs. A powerful quantum computer could also theoretically break through many of today’s data encryption techniques.”
What are Quantum Computers?
Quantum computing leverages some of the quirky physical properties found at the quantum level of physics. Tech journalist Daphne Leprince-Ringuet explains, “The remarkable properties of quantum computing boil down to the behavior of qubits — the quantum equivalent of classical bits that encode information for today’s computers in strings of 0s and 1s. But contrary to bits, which can be represented by either 0 or 1, qubits can take on a state that is quantum-specific, in which they exist as 0 and 1 in parallel, or superposition. Qubits, therefore, enable quantum algorithms to run various calculations at the same time, and at exponential scale: the more qubits, the more variables can be explored, and all in parallel. Some of the largest problems, which would take classical computers tens of thousands of years to explore with single-state bits, could be harnessed by qubits in minutes.”[2] Goldman Sachs executive James Norman explains, “Quantum computers can be game changers because they can solve important problems no existing computer can. While conventional computing scales linearly, QC scales exponentially when adding new bits. Exponential scaling always wins, and it’s never close.”[3]
Sounds great; however, challenges remain. Because quantum computing is carried out at the quantum level, where qubits are small and their superposition state fragile, it’s relatively easy to knock them out of their superposition state. As a result, quantum computers prone to errors. For complex computations, even a small probability for error can quickly generate a wrong answer. Researchers, including those at Microsoft and Amazon, are working hard to tackle the error problem. Last week Amazon unveiled its first-ever quantum computing chip, which it claims can lower the costs of reducing quantum computing errors by up to 90%.[4] Companies are working hard and fast because they believe the potential benefits far outweigh the negative concerns.
Microsoft’s Claims
Tech writer Davide Castelvecchi reports, “Microsoft has announced that it has created the first ‘topological qubits’ — a way of storing quantum information that the firm hopes will underpin a new generation of quantum computers. Machines based on topology are expected to be easier to build at scale than competing technologies, because they should better protect the information from noise.”[5] The most exciting part of the Microsoft announcement is that it had created a new form of matter. Tech journalist Cade Metz explains, “Anyone who has sat through a third-grade science class knows there are three primary states of matter: solid, liquid and gas. Microsoft now says it has created a new state of matter in its quest to make a powerful machine, called a quantum computer, that could accelerate the development of everything from batteries to medicines to artificial intelligence. … Microsoft’s technology, which was detailed in a research paper published in the science journal Nature, adds new impetus to a race that could reshape the technological landscape. … Microsoft said that it had built only eight topological qubits, and that they were not yet able to perform calculations that would change the nature of computing. But the company’s researchers see this as a step toward building something far more powerful.”[6] The following video explains the breakthrough they claim to have made.
Tech journalist Tom Warren writes, “Microsoft believes it has made a key breakthrough in quantum computing, unlocking the potential for quantum computers to solve industrial-scale problems. The software giant has spent 17 years working on a research project to create a new material and architecture for quantum computing, and it’s unveiling the Majorana 1 processor, Microsoft’s first quantum processor based on this new architecture.”[7] The most interesting word in that paragraph is the word “believes.” It demonstrates that there are skeptics when it comes to Microsoft’s claims. For example, Steven Simon, a theoretical physicist at the University of Oxford, told Castelvecchi, “Would I bet my life that they’re seeing what they think they’re seeing? No, but it looks pretty good.”
Science reporter Nidhi Subbaraman writes, “Scientists are responding to Microsoft’s announcement with caution, in part because the quest for topological qubits and the ‘Majorana’ particles that underpin them has a history of bold pronouncements that later were pulled back.”[8] Microsoft concedes its claims haven’t been undeniably proven. Chetan Nayak, corporate vice president for quantum hardware at Microsoft, stated, “The Nature paper wasn’t intended to show proof of the particles. … But the measurements they included indicated they were ‘95% likely’ to indicate topological activity.”[9] Nayak indicates further research work will be published. In the meantime, Jay Sau, a theoretical condensed matter physicist at the University of Maryland, told Subbaraman, “This is where you cross over from the realm of science to advertising.”
Concluding Thoughts
If you watch the Microsoft video, you can sense the excitement researchers at the company feel. Researchers around the world are feeling a similar excitement. Fitch explains, “Companies have been chipping away at the challenge of quantum computing for decades. The current excitement is a combination of genuine new advances and an environment where people are hoping for a sudden, ChatGPT-like moment that could catalyze a quantum boom the way AI has done in the past two years. But it is a testament to the still-theoretical elements of quantum technology that experts aren’t sure whether these breakthroughs mean commercially viable quantum computers are now years away, or remain a decade or more off.” The fact that there are skeptics responding to Microsoft’s claims simply underscores the many challenges that still face companies seeking to develop the first widely-hailed quantum computer. Many people believe it’s not just a race between companies but a race between nations. The stakes are high and the games afoot.
Footnotes
[1] Asa Fitch, “What Is Quantum Computing, and Why Does It Matter?” The Wall Street Journal, 20 February 2025.
[2] Daphne Leprince-Ringuet, “Quantum computers are coming. Get ready for them to change everything,” ZDNet, 2 November 2020.
[3] James Norman, “Quantum Computing Will Revolutionize Data Analysis. Maybe Soon,” Seeking Alpha, 14 March 2018.
[4] Belle Lin, “Amazon Unveils Its First Quantum Computing Chip,” The Wall Street Journal, 27 February 2025.
[5] Davide Castelvecchi, “Microsoft Claims Quantum-Computing Breakthrough—but Some Physicists Are Skeptical,” Scientific American, 20 February 2025.
[6] Cade Metz, “Microsoft Says It Has Created a New State of Matter to Power Quantum Computers,” The New York Times, 19 February 2025.
[7] Tom Warren, “Microsoft announces quantum computing breakthrough with new Majorana 1 chip,” The Verge, 19 February 2025.
[8] Nidhi Subbaraman, “Physicists Question Microsoft’s Quantum Claim,” The Wall Street Journal, 21 February 2025.
[9] Ibid.
