Qubits 1000x More Reliable: Microsoft Unveils Majorana 2 Processor

At the annual Build conference in San Francisco, Microsoft unveiled its next-generation quantum processor, Majorana 2. According to developers, the chip was created using the company's AI platform called Discovery, featuring significant changes in its design and material composition. The new processor replaces the previous Majorana 1 version. Ixbt.com reports .

Chetan Nayak, Vice President of Microsoft Quantum, noted that the material stack in Majorana 2 has been improved to form a more stable topological phase. Specifically, lead was used instead of the superconducting aluminum found in the first version. Additionally, the semiconductor's active region was updated to a combination of indium arsenide and indium arsenide-antimonide. These changes contributed to a significant performance increase.

Company experts explain that the new material combination better protects qubits from external influences, including cosmic radiation and electromagnetic interference. Such factors have traditionally been among the primary challenges in quantum computing. As a result of the transition to the new architecture, qubit reliability has increased 1000-fold.

These achievements prompted Microsoft to revise its technology development plans. According to Chetan Nayak, the roadmap for creating a practical quantum computer has been halved, and the company now aims to reach this goal by 2029. Such computers will be capable of solving problems that are impossible for today's most powerful supercomputers.

Alongside the Majorana 2 presentation, Microsoft announced the public launch of its Discovery platform. This agentic AI helped engineers design the new processor and model its structural variants. The Discovery system is designed to automate scientific research, analyze large volumes of data, and accelerate the creation of new materials.