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Quasiparticles are collections of particles (and, in some cases, field lines) that can be described mathematically as if they were a single particle with properties that are distinct from their constituents. The best-known of these are probably the Cooper pairs that electrons form in superconducting materials.
Microsoft is focusing on a topological phenomenon, behavior that occurs when particles are confined in some way. In this case, it's a quasiparticle that forms at the interface between aluminum that's made to superconduct by the hardware's extremely low operating temperature and a tiny wire of indium-arsenide semiconductor. The behavior of particles of this sort was first described by the physicist Ettore Majorana and goes by the name of a Majorana zero mode.

In theory, the electrons at the interface link up as Cooper pairs. If there's an odd number of electrons, the unpaired one ends up delocalized within the wire, and you detect the Majorana zero modes at each end of the wire (this also requires the presence of a strong magnetic field). Its behavior is described by quantum mechanics, allowing it to be used as a qubit. But when Microsoft set out to use it, nobody had ever demonstrated that Majorana zero modes exist.

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"It's complex in that we had to show a new state of matter to get there, but after that, it's fairly simple. It tiles out. You have this much simpler architecture that promises a much faster path to scale," Krysta Svore, Microsoft's principal research manager, said in the statement.

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• Quantum Computers vs. Regular Computers: Regular computers use bits that are either 0 or 1. Quantum computers use "qubits," which can be both 0 and 1 at the same time, thanks to the weird rules of quantum physics. This allows them to do many calculations at once, potentially solving problems much faster than regular computers.
• The Breakthrough: Microsoft has developed a new kind of qubit called a "topological qubit." This isn't made from the usual solid, liquid, or gas but from a special new state of matter. This state of matter was thought up in the 1930s but only now has it been used for something practical like computing.
• Why It's Important: These new qubits are supposed to be more stable and less prone to errors. With this technology, Microsoft believes they can make a quantum computer with a million qubits in just a few years rather than waiting decades.
• What This Means for the Future: Having a million qubits could lead to solving complex problems in fields like medicine, material science, or energy, which are currently too hard for normal computers. This could be like the jump from old-fashioned vacuum tubes to modern computer chips, making quantum computers much more practical and powerful.
• The Catch: While this is a big deal, it's still early days. They've only managed to put eight of these new qubits on a chip so far, and there's a lot more work to do to get to that million-qubit goal.

AgSoccer2007 said:

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everything is possible now!

Microsoft has made a big step forward in creating a new type of quantum computer. Here's a simple explanation:

• Quantum Computers vs. Regular Computers: Regular computers use bits that are either 0 or 1. Quantum computers use "qubits," which can be both 0 and 1 at the same time, thanks to the weird rules of quantum physics. This allows them to do many calculations at once, potentially solving problems much faster than regular computers.
• The Breakthrough: Microsoft has developed a new kind of qubit called a "topological qubit." This isn't made from the usual solid, liquid, or gas but from a special new state of matter. This state of matter was thought up in the 1930s but only now has it been used for something practical like computing.
• Why It's Important: These new qubits are supposed to be more stable and less prone to errors. With this technology, Microsoft believes they can make a quantum computer with a million qubits in just a few years rather than waiting decades.
• What This Means for the Future: Having a million qubits could lead to solving complex problems in fields like medicine, material science, or energy, which are currently too hard for normal computers. This could be like the jump from old-fashioned vacuum tubes to modern computer chips, making quantum computers much more practical and powerful.
• The Catch: While this is a big deal, it's still early days. They've only managed to put eight of these new qubits on a chip so far, and there's a lot more work to do to get to that million-qubit goal.

In short, Microsoft has found a new way to build quantum computers that could make them much more useful and powerful, potentially changing how we solve big scientific and technological challenges in the future.

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Buck Turgidson said:

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Is there a plain English answer to the question: What are these qubits physically made out of when manufacturing a chip?

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