Majorana 1-A Groundbreaking Development in Computing

On February 19, 2025, Microsoft announced a quantum computer chip called Majorana 1. The never-before-seen topological core and topoconductor in this new chip allow it to process information and compute at a much higher level than other processors. According to Microsoft, this one-million-qubit quantum computer technology can eventually solve the toughest societal, industrial, and environmental problems. But what do these sci-fi-sounding terms mean, and what could this new technology mean for our society?

Computing Chips

A computer chip is a flat piece of silicon with an array of electronic circuits on the surface (ASML). Although a microchip can only be a few millimeters across, its impact on society is massive. Every smartphone, computer, car, television, and robot uses a computing chip to function and carry out tasks. Every chip features countless microscopic electronic devices that perform the functions of the chip. Transistors can switch or amplify electrical signals (Lenovo). Resistors control the flow or the current and reduce voltage. Capacitors can store electric signals. There can be thousands or millions of each of these components on one microchip. 

Chips are manufactured from silicon, which can extracted from sand, and processed into wafers. Silicon is a semiconductor, which means that its electrical properties lie between a conductor and an insulator. This is essential because these properties allow the flow of electricity to be controlled. After the silicon is cut into wafers, silicon dioxide is deposited on the surface. A photo-sensitive material is put onto the wafer and ultraviolet light is shown onto the wafer in a specific pattern to create the circuit pattern. A conductor metal is placed onto the chip, and with etching machines, the conducting pathways are formed. Lastly, the chips are cut from the wafer. (Interesting Engineering Youtube) 

How Majorana 1 Works

Computer chips can be extremely complex and Majorana 1 is no exception. Typical computer chips function with a binary system, or 1s and 0s. A 1 indicates an ‘on’ and a 0 indicates an ‘off’. These small units of data are called bits. The transistors in these chips work together to create logic gates that can perform simple operations. These logic gates (and, or, not, etc.) utilize bits (Microsoft, 2025). Unlike most computer chips, quantum computer chips implement qubits instead of bits. Qubits can be on and off at the same time, which is due to superposition. This means that a qubit can be both on and off until it is measured. This special property of a qubit allows quantum computers to perform calculations and operations much faster.

Although we have harnessed the power of qubits before, Microsoft has developed a new type. Since qubits are extremely sensitive to noise and their environment, which can make them hard to utilize in technology, Microsoft developed a topological qubit. A topological qubit is created from a Majorana particle. Majorana particles, initially theorized by the Italian physicist Ettore Majorana, are a new state of matter that exists as its antiparticle. Previous computing chips use electrons to function, but the new topological core in Majorana 1 uses Majorana particles. This new type of qubit stores information that is spread across two Majorana zero modes. The Majorana modes exist on the topoconductor and ensure that the qubits are stable and won’t interact with their environment. Microsoft states that with this new type of qubit, later quantum computing chips can be scaled up to a million qubits (Microsoft, 2025).

Design

On the smallest scale, the quantum chip uses aluminum nanowires in the shape of an H, with four Majorana particles at each end. This group of wires and Majorana particles functions like how transistors, resistors, and capacitors work on a normal computing chip. Electrical flow is changed and modified countless times to produce a result. But on Majorana 1, Microsoft has developed a system using the revolutionary Majorana particles to do all the computing. Each of these small systems is replicated thousands of times across the chip. The physical materials are also different from regular computer chips, as Microsoft used indium arsenide to make Majorana 1’s topoconductor (Microsoft, 2025). Most computer chips use silicon for their semiconductors, which can control the flow of electricity. Majorana 1’s topoconductor is a hybrid between a superconductor and a semiconductor. This special property is crucial for hosting Majorana zero modes on the chip.

The Impact on Our World

The quantum technology in Majorana 1 hasn’t been fully developed or maximized for computing yet, but we can still predict what effects of this new chip. The quantum technology can help solve problems in many fields, including chemistry, biology, materials sciences, and many more. With the ability to perform millions of calculations in a much shorter time than before, we can predict outcomes of biological factors and events, as well as test industrial materials. In a few years, the quantum chip may be able to discover why materials get cracks and scratches, and how to prevent these from occurring. Scientists could also make recycling breakthroughs could be discovered for hazardous waste. Microsoft even states that with the computing power of Majorana 1, new technologies and advancements for efficient and effective quantum computing could also arise. For our society as a whole, we may be able to stop world hunger by developing more efficient crops and foods (Quantum Insider). Although we have progressed tremendously in the technology sector in the past few decades, nobody can truly predict what the future will hold for quantum computing.

References

Amazon Web Services. (n.d.). What is a computer chip? AWS. Retrieved March 28, 2025, from https://aws.amazon.com/what-is/computer-chip/

ASML. (n.d.). Microchip basics. ASML. Retrieved March 28, 2025, from https://www.asml.com/en/technology/all-about-microchips/microchip-basics

Bolgar, C. (2025, February 19). Microsoft’s Majorana 1 chip carves new path for quantum computing. The Quantum Insider. Retrieved March 28, 2025, from https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/02/19/microsofts-majorana-1-chip-carves-new-path-for-quantum-computing/

GeeksforGeeks. (n.d.). What is a computer chip? GeeksforGeeks. Retrieved March 28, 2025, from https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/what-is-a-computer-chip/

How Are Microchips Made? [Video]. (n.d.). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8Qav3vIv9s

Lenovo. (n.d.). What is a transistor? How it amplifies, evolves & more. Lenovo US. Retrieved March 28, 2025, from https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/glossary/what-is-a-transistor/​

Microsoft. (2024, February 21). Microsoft’s Majorana-1 chip carves new path for quantum computing. Microsoft News. Retrieved March 28, 2025, from https://news.microsoft.com/source/features/innovation/microsofts-majorana-1-chip-carves-new-path-for-quantum-computing/