Microsoft made a splash with a controversial quantum computer in 2025

In February Microsoft introduced a new quantum computer called Majorana 1, and it quickly became one of the most controversial devices in the field of quantum computing.

Majorana-1 has generated controversy because it relies on a special kind of quantum bit, or qubit, called a topological qubit. In theory, they are much more error-proof than the alternatives, making them an attractive proposition for building a largely error-proof quantum computer. For years, Microsoft has tried to do just that, using elusive quasiparticles called Majorana zero modes (MZMs) as the basis for topological qubits, but its track record is mixed.

In 2021, a paper by a group of Microsoft researchers was retracted from a scientific journal. Nature after independent experts discovered a flaw in an analysis aimed at identifying the basic building block of topological qubits. Then, in 2023, experiment regarding Majorana precursor 1 was sharply criticized by a number of experts.

Thus, Microsoft by 2025 Nature A newspaper announcing Majorana-1 will always be subject to scrutiny. In an unusual move, the article was published along with a note from Nature the editorial team stated that “the results in this manuscript are not evidence of the presence of Majorana null modes in the claimed devices”, and in a Microsoft press release stated exactly the opposite.

Microsoft's Chetan Nayak tried to allay concerns in a packed presentation at the American Physical Society Global Summit in Anaheim, California, in March. He shared details of the new data, but critics remained unconvinced.

“The data they presented then and since then simply doesn't show a functional topological qubit. They don't even show the basic building blocks of a topological qubit,” says Henry Legge at the University of St Andrews in the UK, is one such critic.

Nayak says the community response this year has been enthusiastic and encouraging. “As expected, there has been thoughtful debate and inquisitive interaction surrounding our recent discoveries and ongoing research.”

The firm released additional data in July, and Eun-Ah Kim at Cornell University in New York say that these measurements showed behavior more characteristic of a topological qubit than previously reported. “[I am] I’m very happy to see the progress,” she says.

Nayak and his colleagues are now confident that further progress is on the horizon, and they are working to make their next quantum computer larger than Majorana-1, which would theoretically allow it to perform complex calculations without errors. The project has also been selected to enter the final phase Quantum Benchmarking Initiative under the direction of the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to carefully determine a feasible way to create useful quantum computers.

“Last year was a turning point for our quantum program. The launch of the Majorana 1 chip was a turning point not only for Microsoft, but also for the field of quantum computing,” says Nayak.

But will 2026 be the year when Microsoft's performance satisfies critics? Legg remains skeptical. “Fundamental physics is not meeting the deadlines set by the big tech companies,” he says.