Microsoft is making a major breakthrough in quantum computing: developing the most stable qubits could make the technology viable for many, but will anyone be able to afford it?
Unlike traditional computing which uses binary bits, quantum computing uses quantum bits or ‘qubits’, allowing simultaneous processing of large amounts of data, potentially solving complex problems much faster than conventional computers.
In a major step forward for quantum computing, Microsoft and Quantinuum have unveiled the most reliable logical qubits yet, with an error rate 800 times lower than that of physical qubits.
This groundbreaking feat involved running more than 14,000 individual experiments without a single error, which could make quantum computing a viable technology for several industries.
Azure Quantum Elements platform
Microsoft says the successful demonstration was made possible by applying its innovative qubit virtualization system (combined with error diagnostics and correction) to Quantinuum’s ion trap hardware. Jason Zander, EVP Strategic Missions and Technologies at Microsoft, says: “This finally takes us from today’s noisy mid-scale quantum level (NISQ) to Level 2 resilient quantum computing.”
The potential of this progress is enormous. As Zander says, “With a hybrid supercomputer powered by 100 reliable logic qubits, organizations would see the scientific benefit, while scaling to 1,000 reliable logic qubits would deliver commercial benefit.”
Quantum computing holds enormous promise for solving some of society’s most daunting challenges, including climate change, food shortages and the energy crisis. These problems often boil down to complex chemistry and materials science problems, which classical computers struggle with, but would be much easier for Quantum computers to manage.
The task now, Microsoft says, is to continue improving the reliability of qubits and enable fault-tolerant quantum computing. This includes moving to reliable logic qubits, a feat achieved by joining multiple physical qubits together to protect against noise and support resilient computation.
While the potential of the technology is enormous, its widespread adoption will depend on its accessibility and cost-effectiveness. But for now, Microsoft and Quantinuum’s breakthrough marks an important step toward making quantum computing a practical reality.