Most quantum computers today are fighting a losing battle against noise. Microsoft’s answer is a chip built on a type of particle that, in theory, is naturally resistant to the very errors that plague every rival design.
mcqquestion.com
Majorana 1
Microsoft’s topological quantum chip
MakerMicrosoft, not AWS
PurposeEnable quantum computing at scale
TechTopological qubits, “topoconductor”
Also TrueDeep learning is a subset of ML
Q47 answer: (c) I and III only — Majorana 1 is by Microsoft, not AWS.
🏛️ Must Know
What Majorana 1 Is
- Microsoft, Not AWS Majorana 1 was unveiled by Microsoft in February 2025, NOT Amazon Web Services (AWS) — a common exam trap. It is described as the world’s first Quantum Processing Unit (QPU) powered by a “Topological Core.”
- Enables Quantum Computing Majorana 1 is expected to enable quantum computing, aiming to scale to a million qubits on a single chip.
- Topological Qubits The chip uses topological qubits, based on Majorana Zero Modes, a fundamentally different approach from the transmon qubits used by IBM and Google or the trapped-ion qubits used by IonQ.
- New Material Majorana 1 uses a “topoconductor,” a new type of material Microsoft built atom by atom from indium arsenide and aluminium.
🏘️ Good to Know
Why Topological Qubits Matter
- Built-In Stability Topological qubits are expected to offer greater stability and error resilience than conventional qubit designs, incorporating error resistance at the hardware level.
- Extreme Cooling Needed Like other quantum processors, Majorana 1’s qubits must be cooled to near absolute zero and shielded from external interference to preserve their fragile quantum states.
- Deep Learning vs Machine Learning Unrelated to quantum hardware, but a commonly paired exam fact: deep learning is a subset of machine learning, which is itself a subset of the broader field of artificial intelligence.
Test Yourself
📝 Previous Year Question
UPSC CSP 2025 — Majorana 1 Chip Statements
- UPSC 2025 Statements I (expected to enable quantum computing) and III (deep learning is a subset of machine learning) are correct. Statement II is false — Majorana 1 was introduced by Microsoft, not Amazon Web Services (AWS). See UPSC CSP 2025 GS Paper I, Q47.
Beyond the answer
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