Quantum computing to get faster: Microsoft

A lot is happening in the quantum computing field. Last month, Google had announced that it had attained quantum supremacy, and now Microsoft is said to be working on redesigning the core element of quantum computing, the qubit.

Topological qubit is the latest technology that Microsoft has been working on in order to achieve the wildest quantum dream. The IT services giant has been working on this technology for more than five years now and finally, they are almost ready to use.

“We've really spent the recent few years developing that technology,” stated Krysta Svore, general manager of Microsoft's quantum computing software. She also added that “We believe we're very close to having that.”

Quantum computers are super cool when it comes to computational speed and is believed to beat the traditional computers by a large margin. But everything about quantum computers is complex, it’s certainly hard to build, operate, and maintain because they can only work in a temperature that’s just a degree above absolute zero.

These advanced machines can solve a variety of problems that are impossible for classical computers. Svore also said they are offering solutions to chemistry problems like making fertilizers more efficiently and also routing trucks to cut traffic and deliver easily.

Svore said that one of the key advantages of Microsoft’s topological qubit is that it only requires few physical qubits to make one logical qubit. According to her, one logical qubit requires around 10 to 100 physical qubits with Microsoft’s topological qubits. But in other approaches, it needs around 1000 to 20,000 physical qubits.

One of the main hurdles that Microsoft’s topological qubit face is that they’re not available yet and alternative designs are useless too. But as of now, they are testing it in the real world.