PRELIMS BITS:
Microsoft launched the Majorana 1, the world’s first quantum chip powered by topological superconductors:
Technology:
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- Built with indium arsenide (semiconductor) and aluminum (superconductor) to form a “topoconductor.”
- Uses a superconducting nanowire to detect Majorana fermions—particles theorized in the 1930s that are their own antiparticles.
Advantages:
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- Requires fewer qubits and has lower error rates than rival chips (e.g., Google’s Willow, IBM’s designs).
- Offers stable, scalable quantum computing components.
Potential: Paired with AI, it could address real-world challenges, like breaking down microplastics into harmless substances.