In February 2025, Microsoft unveiled a groundbreaking advancement in quantum computing: the Majorana 1 chip. This development marks a significant step toward realizing practical, large-scale quantum computers. What Is the Majorana 1 Chip? The Majorana 1 chip is Microsoft's first quantum processing unit (QPU) designed to harness topological qubits. Unlike traditional qubits, which are susceptible to errors due to environmental noise, topological qubits are inherently more stable. This stability arises from the use of Majorana zero modes—quasiparticles that are their own antiparticles and are theorized to exist in certain quantum states. To create these topological qubits, Microsoft introduced a new class of materials known as topoconductors . These materials combine indium arsenide (a semiconductor) with aluminum (a superconductor) to achieve a state called topological superconductivity. When cooled to near absolute zero and exposed to specific magnetic fields, these materials...